Temburong Gravel; Quarrying and Production

The alluvial gravel on the bed of the Temburong river upstream from Kampong Biang has been dredged since 1953 and is transported by barge to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Belait. The gravels are lifted by a grab which is then raised and lowered in the river to wash mud and silt from the stone.

The gravel terrace deposit at Kampong Salangan and Kampong Sibut was first quarried in 1971 by Costain Civil Engineering Company for the Brunei International airport and by Gammon Southeast Asia Bhd. for the Temburong Road projects. The amount quarried by these companies is not available but the estimated requirements for these two projects were in the order of 2.3 million m³. Following completion of the Temburong road in 1972, new quarries were started on the terraces at Kampong Sibut. Quarrying on the river bed at Kampong Amo started in 1975 and alluvial quarrying at Kampong Sibut started in 1976. Most of the gravel deposits of Terrace III near Kampong Salangan are now exhausted.

Currently there are 14 registered companies for gravel quarrying in the Temburong district and 10 are actively operating. The majority of the quarries are concentrated at the terrace II to the west of Kampong Sibut, operated by 8 companies. Other quarries are located at Kampong Biang and Kampong Salangan.

The production data (1966-1995) obtained from the Temburong Land Department, calculated from royalty payments, indicate a level production of 13,000 m³ per year during the first 12 year period (1966-1978). A production peak in 1972 with 123,500 m³ reflects partly the requirement for the Temburong Road project during that year. The gravel production increased ten fold to more than 140,000 m3 in 1979 and continued to increase to a maximum of over 387,000 m³ in 1990. From 1991 to 1995 production fluctuated from 222,000 to 371,000 m3 (Figure 7.6). Production figures from some quarrying companies exempted from paying royalty are not available and excluded in the total production. Total recorded gravel productions by the end of 1995 as provided by the Land Office, Bangar is 4.9 million m³.

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