New Licensing Requirements for Mining Service Activities

On 6 April 2022, the Ministry of Energy and Mines issued Decision No. 674/MOEM on new licensing requirements for mining service activities in the Lao PDR.

Here is a brief summary:

Definition of mining service activities

Mining service activities are services relating to mineral exploration, surveying, map drafting, geophysical surveying, drilling, exploitation, transportation, analysis, mining consultancy, and other mining-related service activities.

Mining service activity categories

Mining service activities are divided into six categories:

• Mineral exploration and surveying
• Mineral drilling
• Mineral exploitation
• Geologic technical and consultancy services
• Mining technical and consultancy services
• Mineral analysis

Criteria for new applicants

The Decision provides certain criteria for applicants, such as their prior experience in the field, financial status, and staffing, among others.

Application and documentation

The Decision specifies what must be included in the application that follows the lines of most licensing applications, such as corporate documents and company and management details.

Timeframe

According to the Decision, if the application is approved, the license will be issued within 30 days of the date of submission of a complete and accurate application dossier.

Relevant authorities

The departments to manage and inspect mining service activities are:

• Mine Management Department
• Geology and Mineral Department

If you have any questions about this alert or need help with applying for a mining service license, please contact the undersigned or your usual VDB Loi adviser.