West Papua is not only rich in its culture but also in its Papua natural resources. With its vast area, West Papua contains countless mineral resources such as gold, silver, copper, crude oil, coal, and more.
Thus, many government and private companies try to establish mining sites, including one of the largest mining companies in the world, the Grasberg gold mine in Indonesia.
The programs for managing West Papuan natural resources are promising because they can potentially boost the region’s economy. However, the government should be careful in granting mining rights due to the exploitation of nature.
Let us look deeper at West Papua natural resources and their effects on the region.
Getting to Know about West Papua Natural Resources
West Papua becomes the center of attention of many foreign mining companies due to its rich natural and mineral resources. The government has high hopes by opening mining sites within the area because it could help increase the local economy.
Let’s get to know about those natural and mineral resources richly laid in this Cendrawasih island as follows:
Gold
This mineral resource is famous because it is managed by the world’s largest mining company, Grasberg Mining. Located in Mimika Regency, West Papua, Indonesia, PT operates the largest gold mining in the world. Freeport Indonesia.
It is a joint venture company where the Indonesian government owns 51% of its dividend. PT. Freeport is famous because it has been operating since 1967 in Papua province. This company is exploring and mining gold in the area and processing the gold ores.
However, more places in West Papua, such as Pegunungan Arfak Regency, Sugapa, West Paniai, and Manokwari areas, could potentially have gold. This region is rich in mineral resources, especially gold, due to its mountain areas spread throughout the region.
Copper
Indonesia is the world’s largest copper deposit country, with Papua province as its largest copper-producing region. PT Freeport Indonesia is Indonesia’s largest copper mining operation because, in 2021, it produced around 670,000 tons in Mimika Regency. Papua
Coal
Another West Papua mineral resource to consider is coal because this region has many potential areas rich in such a mineral. These coal-producing areas in West Papua are Pegunungan Bintang, Mimika, Kaimana, Raja Ampat, and Sorong.
Crude Oil
Another natural resource richly available in West Papua is crude oil due to its high daily production, which reaches 14.811 barrels per day. The main location for oil mining is Sorong, the capital of West Papua Province, which spans areas such as Linda Salawati, Bintuni, and Klamono.
This area produces 8.243-barrel crude oil and 6.568-barrel condensate under the exploration of three companies such as Pertamina, Petroleum, and Petrochina.
Gas Field
Aside from producing crude oil, West Papua also produces gas in Bintuni Bay. This area is a huge gas producer due to the extraction of 14 trillion cubic meters of gas on its Tangguh Projects. Mining production is massive because it is worth more than $10 billion.
Nickel
Raja Ampat, Papua, is known for its natural beauty and offers a potential nickel deposit, especially in Gag Island, West Waigeo region. The mining operation done under PT Gag Nikel in 2018 is huge because it covers an area of 13,136 hectares.
Conclusion
The West Papua map shows that this region is rich in natural resources, including its vast forest, plentiful mineral resources, and marine wealth. Those resources are great commodities because they can help improve the region’s economy and welfare.
However, the government should be careful in managing and operating the exploration so it will not harm both its nature and its indigenous.
With the right program and wise policy, Papua natural resources will benefit its local people and help preserve nature for the future generation.
