Editing New Caledonia (section)

=== Nickel sector ===
{{main|Nickel mining in New Caledonia}}
{{see also|Geology of New Caledonia}}

[[File:Creek South New Caledonia.JPG|thumb|A creek in southern New Caledonia. Red colours reveal the richness of the ground in [[iron oxide]]s and nickel.]]

New Caledonian soils contain about 25% of the world's [[nickel]] resources.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/1446693/Nickel-gleams-again-in-New-Caledonia.html |title=Nickel gleams again in New Caledonia |work=Metal Bulletin |date=3 December 2001 |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=9 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909043855/http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/1446693/Nickel-gleams-again-in-New-Caledonia.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[late-2000s recession]] has gravely affected the nickel industry, as the sector faced a significant drop in nickel prices (−31.0% year-on-year in 2009) for the second consecutive year.<ref name="comptes">{{cite web |url=http://www.isee.nc/compteco/telechargement/4pagecerom2011.pdf |title=Les comptes économiques rapides de Nouvelle-Calédonie  |publisher=[[Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies]] (ISEE-NC) |place=Nouméa |access-date=2013-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113144920/http://www.isee.nc/compteco/telechargement/4pagecerom2011.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The fall in prices has led a number of producers to reduce or stop altogether their activity, resulting in a reduction of the global supply of nickel by 6% compared to 2008.<ref name="comptes"/>

This context, combined with bad weather, has forced the operators in the sector to revise downwards their production target.<ref name="comptes"/> Thus, the activity of mineral extraction has declined by 8% in volume year on year.{{when|date=October 2017}}<ref name="comptes" /> The share of the nickel sector as a percentage of GDP fell from 8% in 2008 to 5% in 2009.<ref name="comptes" /> A trend reversal and a recovery in demand have been recorded early in the second half of 2009, allowing a 2.0% increase in the local metal production.<ref name="comptes"/> A March 2020 report stated that "New Caledonia is the world's fourth largest nickel producer, which has seen a 26% rally in prices in the past year".<ref name="bbc.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56288781 |title=Tesla partners with nickel mine amid shortage fears |work=[[BBC News]] |date=5 March 2021 |access-date=9 March 2021 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309131304/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56288781 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to industry sources however, the [[Goro mine]] has never met its potential capacity to produce "60,000 tpy of nickel in the form of nickel oxide, due to design flaws and operational commissioning issues" In 2019, it produced slightly over a third of its annual capacity".<ref name="mining.com">{{cite web| url = https://www.mining.com/tesla-gets-involved-in-new-caledonia-nickel-mine-to-secure-metal-supply/| title = Tesla gets involved in New Caledonia mine to secure nickel supply| date = 5 March 2021| access-date = 9 March 2021| archive-date = 8 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210308133905/https://www.mining.com/tesla-gets-involved-in-new-caledonia-nickel-mine-to-secure-metal-supply/| url-status = live}}</ref>

In March 2021, [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]] agreed to a partnership with the Goro Mine, a "technical and industrial partnership to help with product and sustainability standards along with taking nickel for its battery production, according to the agreement", according to a [[BBC News]] report. The majority owner, Vale, said that the deal will be of long-term benefit in terms of jobs and the economy. Tesla is a heavy user of nickel for making the lithium-ion batteries and wanted to "secure its long-term supply".<ref name="bbc.com"/>

Also in March 2021, a part of Vale's nickel business was sold "to a consortium called Prony, which includes Swiss commodity trader Trafigura". Provincial authorities and businesses in New Caledonia would have a 51% stake in the Vale operation.<ref name="mining.com"/>