Ecuador reopens mining registry after seven-year freeze

[Redator]

Ecuador has reopened its mining concessions registry for the first time since January 2018, aiming to attract investment, streamline licensing, and crack down on illegal mining—a long-standing issue across the country.

The registry had been closed amid concerns about irregularities in the concession system. Since then, no new licences have been issued. Now, authorities including the ministries of environment, energy, and mines, have renewed power to identify illegal mining activities nationwide and can call in the national police and armed forces when necessary.

Energy and Mines Minister Inés Manzano announced that new exploration applications and concessions will be accepted gradually. The process will begin in the third quarter of this year, starting with small-scale non-metallic mining, such as limestone and clay used in cement and ceramics. Small-scale metallic mining will follow in September. The registry will fully reopen to other types of mining at the start of 2026.

To secure a concession, applicants must show at least two years of mining experience, either in Ecuador or internationally. The state-owned National Mining Company (Enami) will have first rights to apply.

In response to criticism from local groups, particularly the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which represents around 10,000 communities, Manzano defended the policy. She said the government is focused on building a competitive and responsible mining sector that drives investment, improves local living conditions and ensures better use of natural resources.

“What we’re doing is the best thing for the country,” Manzano said. “It’s wealth that’s being illegally stolen.”

Lagging behind

Despite its mineral wealth, mainly copper, gold, and silver, Ecuador has fallen behind regional mining leaders like Chile and Peru. Development has been slowed by legal challenges and opposition from Indigenous groups. Last year, Ecuador’s mining exports exceeded $3 billion.

Illegal mining has spread across 19 of the country’s 24 provinces, with major hotspots in Esmeraldas, Imbabura and Azuay. Protected areas have also been impacted. International reports, including one from the US Department against Transnational Organized Crime (DTOC), have detailed corruption in the sector.

Investigative news outlet Mongabay found that 652 mining concessions were issued without proper procedures. It also reported a rise in unauthorized gold-processing plants and violence linked to criminal groups.

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“Criminal organizations are reinvesting drug trafficking profits into this lucrative [illegal gold] trade, fuelling a violent struggle for territorial control,” Amazon Watch’s Sofía Jarrín said in a report on gold gangs published in September. 

President Daniel Noboa’s administration is considering new mining fees estimated to be able to generate $229 million a year, a move that has drawn criticism from the country’s mining chamber.

At least six large and medium-scale mining projects are set to begin operations over the next four years. These include CMOC Cangrejos gold project, SolGold’s (LON: SOLG) Cascabel copper-gold phase 1, and Solaris’ (TSX: SLS)(NYSE: SLSR) Warintza copper and molybdenum project. There is also SilverCorp (TSX: SVM) and Salazar’s (TSX-V: SRL) Curipamba-El Domo copper-gold venture and the expansion of The Mirador Norte copper mine, operated by Chinese-backed EcuaCorriente.