North Luwu potential for mining prospects

Mining is the most promising sector to be developed in North Luwu, the newest regency in South Sulawesi, the largest nickel producer in the world.

Actually, based on surveys by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, there are 15 mining potentials in Luwu, including nickel that has been mined by PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco).

North Luwu regent M. Luthfi Mutty said Inco currently provided the largest income for North Luwu, with Rp 11.2 billion per annum in royalties.

Therefore, Luthfi said his party would offer other mining potentials to both domestic and foreign investors to boost local income.

He said the mining potentials in the district included gold, marble, granite quartz, and iron ore.

Gold has been found along Lalego River, with a projected reserves of around 1,300 kilograms, and along the Kalaena River, with reserves of around 500 kilograms.

Marbles are found abundant in Burau subdistrict, that contains around 3.1 billion cubic meters of marbles, and granites are located in Sabbang area with reserves of around 13.7 billion tons.

Quarts are found in Burau subdistrict, with reserves of 780,000 cubic meters, and iron ore in Ussu village, in Mailili subdistrict, with reserves of around 22.4 billion tons.

Luwu, Luthfi said, should be attractive to mining investors because it ahd a lot of mining potentials and it has adequate supporting infrastructure such as five air strips and four sea ports. Land transportation is also in good condition as it connects South and Central Sulawesi provinces.

The chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's South Sulawesi chapter, Aksa Mahmud, said that his party had cooperated with the North Luwu regency to promote more about mining potentials in the area. (*)