Gold Ridge Mine

Gold mine in Solomon Islands

Gold Ridge is a gold mine on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, about southeast of the capital Honiara. Civil unrest caused closure for two years soon after opening in 1998. After several changes of hands since the 1990s, and under foreign ownership until its closure in 2014, the mine is now owned by Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML), which includes a 10% stake in its ownership by landowner controlled company GoldRidge Community Investment Limited (GCIL).

During 1568 a Spanish explorer named Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira found gold near the mouth of the Matepona River, which flows from the present day Gold Ridge area on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

Active prospecting began in 1930s, and, after a number of attempts to work the area, in 1939, a prospecting licence was granted to the Balasuna Syndicate, which began hydraulic sluicing in the area. The mine was closed until 2018, and expected to resume production in 2019. There followed a year of arguments between the government, St Barbara, and landowners, regarding responsibility for the emptying the tailings dam. There were fears of contamination of the rivers that were relied on as a water source for over 8000 people. In April 2016 GCIL was accused of allowing toxic spill to occur, which it denied, saying that the recently released water had "only low concentrations of hazardous chemicals". On 12 September 2019, GCIL signed a deal with China Railway Group Limited worth $825 million to build and lease a railway system and mining service station. The contract lasts until March 2034. The mine had not been reopened by September 2020.

The Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML) is owned by Wanguo International Mining Group (70%), AXF Resources (20%) and Gold Ridge Landowners through the investment company Goldridge Communities Investment Ltd (GCIL) (10%). GRML is committed to ensuring that landowners and communities realise benefits from mine, and donates money towards schools and other social infrastructure in the area. GRML has said that it is committed to corporate responsibility and increased operational and environmental transparency, ensuring better communications than previously and allowing community participation in decisions about the mine.