“Uncovering the World’s Nine Biggest Nickel Suppliers

The earth’s crust is estimated to contain around 68 million metric tons of nickel, making it the 25th most abundant element in the world. A large portion of this valuable metal is mined and extracted from countries all around the globe. For many of these countries, nickel production plays a critical role in their economies. In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the top nickel-producing countries in the world. Here are the nine countries that lead in the production of this versatile metal. 1. The Philippines – Philippines is the world’s largest nickel producer, producing nearly 34 million metric tons of nickel in 2019. Closely linked to the country’s economic stability, nickel mining is managed by two government agencies, the National Nickel Corporation of the Philippines (NICKEL) and the Philippine Nickel Industry Corporation (PNICOR). 2. Russia – Coming second in the global production of nickel is Russia, with an estimated production of 4.5 million metric tons in 2019. In particular, the region of Norilsk accounts for more than two third of the total production. The country is estimated to have around 2% of the world’s known nickel reserves. 3. Canada – Canada is the world’s third-largest nickel producer, with an estimated output of 4.1 million metric tons in 2019. The majority of production comes from mines in Ontario and Manitoba, while several small operations in other regions, such as British Columbia, contribute to the total production. 4. Indonesia – Known as the world’s largest exporter of nickel ore, Indonesia produced 4 million metric tons in 2019. The country is estimated to have the world’s sixth-largest nickel reserves, accounting for 4% of the total. 5. Australia – Australia’s nickel mine production stood at 2.2 million metric tons in 2019 and is approximately 8% of the world’s total output. Western Australia and Queensland are the major contributors to the sector, with the two combined accounting for around 90% of Australia’s total nickel production in 2018-2019. 6. New Caledonia – With an estimated output of 2 million metric tons in 2019, New Caledonia is the sixth-largest producer of nickel in the world. Around 85% of the country’s production comes from the 24,400-acre Goro Nickel Mine, the largest nickel mine in the world. 7. Brazil – Brazil produces around 1.4 million metric tons of nickel per year. The majority of output comes from the state of Para, particularly from mines in the Carajas region. Other notable producing areas include Paracatu, Três Paulo, and Lagoa Real. 8. Cuba – Despite producing an estimated 1.3 million metric tons of nickel in 2019, Cuba’s resources in this metal are limited due to its lack of exploration. This nation relies heavily on both importation and export of nickel for stabilizing its economy. 9. Colombia – Colombia is relatively new to the nickel industry, only having begun production in 2006. It was formerly the largest exporter of nickel ore to China. According to estimates, its output was around 1 million metric tons in 2019. It’s clear that nickel mining is an important activity in the world economy. With many of the countries on this list relying heavily on production for maintaining economic stability, it’s important that efforts are made to sustain and increase these outputs. As demand for this versatile metal increases, it’s likely that production of the top nickel producing countries will continue to rise in the years ahead.