Eastern promise--Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, clustered in the Lower Mekong area, represent an exciting geological laboratory'

摘要

DESPITE Southeast Asia's undoubted mineral potential, the geology is not well known and is still being intensively studied. Fortunately, during the past 20 years, most countries within the region have become more politically stable, and continue to undergo rapid economic transformation. As their economies have developed, demand for natural resources has increased both internally and regionally. Early demand was for construction materials used in infrastructure development. Now the production of metal, industrial, fuel and fertiliser minerals is increasing in order to supply both their industrialising economies and the growth in demand for these commodities in domestic, regional and global markets.