Prospector Trails
Mining by country/Asia
Indonesia is the world's largest mine producer of nickel. It is in the world top three for tin (#2), cobalt (#2). The story below follows its minerals from the ground to the economy, the export ports and the mines.
01 · What it digs
Indonesia mined 67% of the world's nickel in 2025, ranking #1. Across the 34 minerals we track it holds a share of at least 0.5% in 7.
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, mine stage, latest year per mineral. Columns on the globe: every producer of nickel.
02 · Mining in the economy
Mineral rents came to 1.9% of Indonesia's GDP in 2021, higher than 82% of the countries the World Bank reports; ores and metals made up 9.2% of its merchandise exports in 2025. GDP was $1,446bn in 2025.
World Bank WDI: mineral rents (NY.GDP.MINR.RT.ZS) and ores and metals exports (TX.VAL.MMTL.ZS.UN). The globe shades every country by mineral rents.
03 · Six years of output
Mine production, nickel, tin, cobalt, zirconium (zircon), USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 to 2026 (each year as last reported).
04 · Where it goes
Its largest mineral export line in the trade data is copper: $4.6bn in 2024, led by China ($2.5bn), Japan ($2.2bn).
CEPII BACI bilateral trade, by value; arcs run from Indonesia to the buyer.
05 · Jurisdiction
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators put Indonesia at -0.26 on rule of law in 2025, higher than 45% of countries. These are perception-based estimates on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5; they describe the operating environment, not any company.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators. The globe shades every country by rule of law.
06 · Mines and projects
21 mines in Indonesia have output figures in open mine databases; the largest by reported output are below. Listed companies hold 6 projects here, shown as dots.
What Indonesia mines: nickel (67% of world output, #1), tin (21% of world output, #2), cobalt (14% of world output, #2), zirconium (zircon) (4.3% of world output, #7). Mineral rents are 1.9% of GDP. Below: 6 projects held by listed companies and 21 mines from open mine databases.
Indonesia in numbers: the infographic
| Mineral | World share | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel | 67% | 1 | 2025 |
| Tin | 21% | 2 | 2025 |
| Cobalt | 14% | 2 | 2025 |
| Zirconium (zircon) | 4.3% | 7 | 2025 |
| Copper | 3.1% | 9 | 2025 |
| Gold | 2.7% | 11 | 2025 |
| Aluminium and bauxite | 2.3% | 6 | 2025 |
| Project | Company | Minerals | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT Timah Belitung tin operations | PT Timah | Tin | Producing |
| PT Timah Kundur / Karimun (Riau Islands) mining and smelter | PT Timah | Tin | Producing |
| PT Timah Mentok smelter | PT Timah | Tin | Producing |
| PT Timah offshore tin dredging (Bangka-Belitung waters) | PT Timah | Tin | Producing |
| PT Timah onshore tin mining, Bangka island | PT Timah | Tin | Producing |
| PT Timah Singkep | PT Timah | Tin | Closed |
| Mine | Minerals | Operator | Latest published output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakan | Gold | 2.37 t (2019) | |
| Bakan - Bakan | Gold | ||
| Bakan - North Lanut | Gold | ||
| Batu Hijau | Copper, Gold, Silver | 59,103 t (2019) | |
| Elang | Gold, Copper, Silver | ||
| Gosowong | Gold, Silver | PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (Newcrest Mining Limited 75%) | 7.81 t (2018) |
| Kelian | Gold | 1.22 t (2005) | |
| Kijang | Aluminium and bauxite | 783,097 t (2009) | |
| Martabe | Gold | 9.07 t (2020) | |
| Mt Muro | Gold, Silver | 0.088 t (2014) | |
| PT Central Omega Resources Tbk - Bumi Konawe Abadi | Nickel | ||
| PT Central Omega Resources Tbk - PT Itamatra Nusantara | Nickel | ||
| PT Central Omega Resources Tbk - PT Mulia Pacifc Resources | Nickel | ||
| Pomalaa | Nickel | 9,549 t (2008) | |
| Pongkor and Cibaliung | Gold | 1.96 t (2019) | |
| Pongkor and Cibaliung - Cibaliung | Gold | ||
| Pongkor and Cibaliung - Pongkor | Gold | ||
| Seruyung | Gold | 1.65 t (2019) | |
| Tayan | Aluminium and bauxite | 1,726,734 t (2019) | |
| Tujuh Bukit | Gold, Silver, Copper | 6.31 t (2019) | |
| Wetar | Copper | 16,777 t (2019) |
Aluminium and bauxite minesCobalt minesCopper minesGold minesNickel minesTin minesZirconium (zircon) mines
World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.