Ecuador's Mineral Production: Gold, Copper, and Emerging Giants

What Ecuador Mines: From Artisanal Gold to World-Class Copper

Ecuador's mineral sector is transitioning from small-scale/artisanal dominance to large-scale industrial mining, driven by major copper-gold discoveries. The 2009 Mining Law reform and 2017-2021 contract renegotiations attracted billions in investment.

Metallic Minerals (Production & Development)

Industrial Minerals (Steady Production)

• Limestone / Cement: Major. Cementos Selvalegre, UNACEM, Holcim. Domestic + export.
• Clay / Kaolin: Ceramics, paper, cement additive.
• Sand / Gravel / Crushed Stone: Construction aggregates. Ubiquitous.
• Gypsum: Cement retarder, wallboard.
• Salt: Solar evaporation (Santa Elena, Manabí).

Critical Context

• Artisanal Mining: ~100,000 miners (gold). Mercury use, informality, violence, environmental damage. Formalization efforts ongoing.
• Social Conflict: Indigenous consultation (FPIC), water competition, environmental fears (Intag, Río Blanco). Projects delayed/cancelled.
• Policy Swing: Correa (resource nationalism) → Moreno/Lasso (investment opening) → Noboa (pragmatic). 2023 referendum: Quito district voted to block mining in Chocó Andino.
• Revenue: Mining ~3-4% GDP, rising fast. Copper = future fiscal pillar.