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Geologist says island's mineral deposits merit exploration but may be too small to mine

Dr Keith Barron says the island shares its geology with Anglesey, where developers are working to reopen a copper works, but is unsure any deposits here are big enough.

Island-wideMon 12 Oct, 06:531 min read

By Manx Wire Newsroom

The white, curved, colonnaded government building on the corner of Prospect Hill in Douglas under a blue sky. — Government buildings on Prospect Hill, Douglas. Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0

A geologist believes the island is likely to hold mineral deposits worth exploring, but is not certain they would be large enough to support a commercial mining operation, according to Manx Radio.

Dr Keith Barron, who spent part of the 1970s living on the island, told the broadcaster that the island’s geology resembles that of Anglesey. That, he suggested, means similar opportunities could exist here.

On Anglesey, developers have been pursuing plans in recent years to bring a copper works back into operation, Manx Radio noted.

Dr Barron added a note of caution, however. According to the broadcaster, he said any opportunities on the island would be worth pursuing only if the deposits proved big enough to make extraction worthwhile.

Manx Radio’s written report did not name particular sites or minerals, and did not refer to any plans to explore or mine on the island.

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