Nickel Mine in Raja Ampat: How Much Nickel Reserve Does It Have?

Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua Province (a newly established province from West Papua Province), is a famous tourist destination known for its natural beauty and rich marine biodiversity.

However, the area is now polluted due to nickel mining.

This is evident, among other things, from reports by TribunSorong.com, which show photos of murky brown seawater on the coast of Kawe Island, Raja Ampat.

"We are living witnesses, seeing firsthand the environmental conditions in the nickel mining concession area. The impact of environmental damage is visible; the waters are becoming polluted," said Ronisel Mambrasar, a resident of Raja Ampat, as reported by TribunSorong.com (June 5, 2025).

According to Ronisel, parts of Raja Ampat that were once lush green are now bare due to nickel mining. The loading and unloading of mining materials also changed the color of the seawater from blue to brown.

"For example, Gag and Kawe Islands, which should be protected because they are home to fish species, are now damaged by mining waste," said Ronisel.

West Papua Province and its surrounding areas—including Southwest Papua Province and Raja Ampat Regency—are indeed one of Indonesia's sources of nickel wealth.

Quoting a presentation from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenko Marves) in April 2024, West Papua has nickel resources of approximately 3.84 million tons and nickel reserves of 880.56 thousand tons.

These nickel resources and reserves in West Papua are the fifth largest nationally.

Resources are the concentration or presence of material within the earth that has the prospect of being economically extracted. Reserves are resources that have been proven to be extractable.

Here is a breakdown of the distribution of Indonesia's nickel resources and reserves according to Kemenko Marves data in April 2024, listed from largest to smallest:

1. Southeast Sulawesi

• Nickel resources: 61.30 million tons
• Nickel reserves: 20.45 million tons

2. North Maluku

• Nickel resources: 38.08 million tons
• Nickel reserves: 16.00 million tons

3. Central Sulawesi

• Nickel resources: 32.29 million tons
• Nickel reserves: 9.68 million tons

4. South Sulawesi

• Nickel resources: 4.10 million tons
• Nickel reserves: 2.12 million tons

5. West Papua

• Nickel resources: 3.84 million tons
• Nickel reserves: 880.56 thousand tons

6. East Kalimantan

• Nickel resources: 425.88 thousand tons
• Nickel reserves: 11.78 thousand tons

7. Central Kalimantan

• Nickel resources: 275.33 thousand tons
• Nickel reserves: 117.08 thousand tons