Burma – Mining

Myanmar has diverse and largely untapped geological resources which makes mining a significant driver of the country’s economic development. Mining is the third largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Myanmar. The industry exported approximately US$1.5 billion in the 2013–14 financial year. Energy and Mining account for 55% of Myanmar’s total exports.

Myanmar has significant mineral resources including gold, silver, copper, tin, tungsten, lead, zinc, and nickel. Precious stones, including jade, ruby, and sapphire, are one of Myanmar’s largest exports. Myanmar accounts for approximately 90 percent of global jade and ruby production. Myanmar has gold deposits across the country. Copper is the largest export in the mining sector. Other mining products such as silver, lead, tin, tungsten and antimony deposits are widespread in the country. 

In 2015, 52,312 ha of high-certainty mining areas was identified and an additional 26,251 ha medium-certainty and 11,478 ha low-certainty mining areas. Sagaing and Kachin states have the largest areas of mining, with these two states representing 71% of all high-certainty mining area in Myanmar. Mandalay has the third-largest area of high-certainty mining, and many additional hectares of lower-certainty mining areas. Shan, Tanintharyi, and Bago have the next largest total areas of mining. Much of the country’s existing mining area (71%) is concentrated in Sagaing Region and Kachin State, which possess significant gold and jade deposits. Myanmar has also emerged as the world’s third largest tin producer . The country’s tin and tungsten deposits run from northern Shan and Mandalay States to Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region.

Myanmar Gems and Jade Emporium generated a record of $ 3.4 billion in October 2014.

2015 mining area