Indonesia probes illegal mining in June disrupts nickel output

Foreign media news on August 24: In Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, nickel ore prices have risen by about 10% in recent weeks as a government investigation into mining quotas has disrupted nickel production. Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO) launched an investigation into illegal mining in June, leading to the arrest of a senior government official earlier this month and the disruption of operations at Mandiodo, a key mine of state-owned miner Aneka Tambang. Dozens of nickel smelters in Indonesia are now rushing to stockpile ore, driving up prices for the material. A manager at a Chinese-owned smelter said smelters were scrambling for ore and worried about a shortage of supplies, especially after big buyers raised prices. He added that many smelters do not have a lot of nickel ore in stock and if the current situation persists, it could see some smelters shutting down.