New Caledonia

In 2024, the New Caledonian nickel mining and processing industry endured decreased nickel prices, high energy costs, and severe civil unrest. As a result, operations at the Doniambo ferronickel plant, the Koniambo operations, and the Goro complex were transitioned to care-and-maintenance status or suspended. 

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

In 2024, New Caledonia was the world’s fifth-ranked producer of nickel, accounting for 3.1% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, cobalt, and ferronickel. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). Production of nickel contributed 5% to New Caledonia’s total value added. New Caledonia exported 4.42 million metric tons (Mt) of wet nickel ore to the Republic of Korea (61%), China (32%), and Japan (7%); exported wet nickel ore was estimated to contain 12,000 t of cobalt. The country exported about 56,000 metric tons (t) of nickel contained in ferronickel product and nickel-cobalt hydroxide product; the majority (82%) was exported to China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (Comptes Économiques Rapides pour l’Outre-mer, 2025; Institut d’Émission d’Outre-mer, 2025, p. 113, 116; Stewart, 2026). 

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in New Caledonia is provided by the Mining Code of New Caledonia of 2009. The New Caledonian Department of Industry, Mines and Energy (Direction de l’Industrie, des Mines et de l’Énergie de la Nouvelle-Calédonie) (DIMENC) oversees the mineral sector and the Mines and Quarry Service (Le Service des Mines et Carrières) provides regulatory services for mining activities including exploration, extraction, and environmental protection. Most mineral commodities were produced by international companies except for the Goro and Koniambo Mines, which were majority owned by domestic entities. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Asia and the Pacific, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/asia-…;

Commodity Review 

Nickel and Cobalt.—In 2024, the nickel mining sector of New Caledonia endured decreased nickel prices, high energy costs, and severe civil unrest. During the year, laterite ore production from Société Le Nickel decreased by 50% to 2.9 Mt from that in 2023 owing to damage sustained to mine equipment from riots. The Doniambo ferronickel plant operated at its minimum utilization rate to preserve the plant’s electric furnace owing to ore shortages. In 2024, ferronickel (Ni content) production decreased by 27% to about 32,900 (Eramet S.A., 2025, p. 81, 82). 

In 2024, Koniambo Nickel SAS produced about 5,000 t of ferronickel (Ni content) at its Koniambo plant, which was a decrease of 82% compared with that in 2023. In the second quarter of 2024, the company transitioned Koniambo operations to care-and-maintenance status as a result of the challenging operating environment. The saprolite nickel ore supply for the plant was from the Koniambo massif deposit in Nord Province, which contained measured and indicated resources of 60 Mt grading 2.11% nickel (Glencore plc, 2025, p. 83, 101, 192, 266). 

In 2024, Prony Resources New Caledonia consortium (PRNC) produced 15,805 t of nickel hydroxide cake at the Goro plant, which was a 50% and 37% decrease, respectively, from that in 2023. The company suspended operations at the Goro plant between May and November 2024 owing to civil unrest, which blocked the Goro plant from receiving ore. PRNC suspended the construction of the Goro Mine’s Lucy tailings project. PRNC also recovered cobalt as a byproduct to produce 1,608 t of cobalt in intermediate products at the Goro plant in 2024. The plant was supplied by the Goro Mine. The majority of nickel cobalt hydroxide was exported to Asia (production table; Institut d’Emission d’Outre-mer, 2025, p. 11, 115, 116, 128). 

References Cited 

• Stewart, A.A., 2026, Nickel: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 132–133. 

• Comptes Économiques Rapides pour l’Outre-mer, 2025, Les comptes économiques rapides de la Nouvelle-Calédonie en 2024 [New Caledonia's rapid economic accounts in 2024]: Paris, France, Comptes Économiques Rapides pour l’Outre-mer, September 30, 5 p. (Accessed March 30, 2026, at https://www.cerom-outremer.fr/IMG/pdf/cerom-comptes-rapides-2024.pdf.) [In French.] 

• Eramet S.A., 2025, Universal registration document: Paris, France, Eramet S.A., 612 p. (Accessed March 30, 2026, at https://www.eramet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-04-23-Eramet-URD….) 

• Institut d’Émission d’Outre-mer, 2025, Nouvelle-Calédonie rapport annuel 2024 [New Caledonia annual report 2024]: Paris, France, Institut d’Émission d’Outre-mer, July 8, 226 p. (Accessed March 30, 2026, at https://www.ieom.fr/IMG/pdf/rapport_annuel_nc_2024_page_a_page_bat.pdf.) [In French.] 

• Glencore plc, 2025, 2024 annual report: Baar, Switzerland, Glencore plc, 299 p. (Accessed March 30, 2026, at https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/static/7a4295e4-3674-45….)