Vatukoula
Encyclopedia
Vatukoula is a gold
mining
settlement in Fiji
, 9 kilometers inland from the Town
of Tavua
on the island of Viti Levu
. It was established in 1934.
The Emperor Mines Limited (EML) owned the mine but shut it down in December 2006 due to the high cost of mining and the level of capital required to sustain the mining operation, which made it uneconomical for EML to continue mining.
Both open-cast and underground mining were carried out in Vatukoula, with one tunnel rumoured to extend out under Tavua Bay {This tunnel did not exist as of 2006, and is still very unlikely to exist now. It would be pointless and cost to much to dig a tunnel that would measure about 19 kilometers to reach Tavua Bay}. Emperor Gold Mines (previously a subsidiary of EML) pioneered the gold mining industry in Fiji, but has since been sold with its operations to Westech International a private company based in Australia
. Westech International sold the mine to River Diamonds Plc (later renamed Vatukoula Gold Mines Plc) http://www.vgmplc.com The mine re-opened in April 2008 and is currently producing gold (2010.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
settlement in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, 9 kilometers inland from the Town
Local government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
of Tavua
Tavua
Tavua is a town in Fiji, 91 kilometres from Nadi and 9 kilometres from the gold mining settlement of Vatukoula. It was formally incorporated as a Town in 1992, with a land area of 100 square kilometres, and had a population of 2,418 at the 1996 census, the last to date.Tavua is governed by a...
on the island of Viti Levu
Viti Levu
Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
. It was established in 1934.
The Emperor Mines Limited (EML) owned the mine but shut it down in December 2006 due to the high cost of mining and the level of capital required to sustain the mining operation, which made it uneconomical for EML to continue mining.
Both open-cast and underground mining were carried out in Vatukoula, with one tunnel rumoured to extend out under Tavua Bay {This tunnel did not exist as of 2006, and is still very unlikely to exist now. It would be pointless and cost to much to dig a tunnel that would measure about 19 kilometers to reach Tavua Bay}. Emperor Gold Mines (previously a subsidiary of EML) pioneered the gold mining industry in Fiji, but has since been sold with its operations to Westech International a private company based in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Westech International sold the mine to River Diamonds Plc (later renamed Vatukoula Gold Mines Plc) http://www.vgmplc.com The mine re-opened in April 2008 and is currently producing gold (2010.