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Laos
Index
Assessments of mineral reserves are imprecise, because
by 1991
most of the country had not been geologically surveyed in
a
detailed manner. According to 1991 estimates, deposits of
gemstones, gold, gypsum, iron, lead, potash, silver, tin,
and zinc
have relatively high commercial development potential, but
mining
activity is on an extremely small scale. In addition, Laos
has
small deposits of aluminum, antimony, chromium, coal, and
manganese, as well as potential for oil and natural gas.
In 1989
exploration agreements for oil and gas were signed with
British,
French, and United States companies.
Mining operations are carried out by state mining
enterprises,
and supervised by the Department of Geology and Mines and
small-
scale miners. Production of tin--the principal mineral
export--
decreased 50 percent between 1975 and 1988, to about 240
tons.
Gypsum production increased 167 percent between 1980 and
1988, to
about 80,000 tons. Salt production increased 233 percent
between
1981 and 1988, to eleven tons. Coal production increased
more than
600 percent between 1982 and 1988, to about 800 tons. In
addition
to commercial enterprises, some individual households pan
for
alluvial gold on the Mekong as well as on small streams
during the
dry season to supplement household incomes.
Further development of the mineral sector is contingent
upon
the willingness of private companies to invest. However,
the lack
of adequate data, a trained labor force, dependable and
adequate
infrastructure, and legislation (a mining code was being
drafted as
of 1991) inhibit private companies from major investments,
although
private investment was growing as of 1993.
Data as of July 1994
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