A closer look at OceanaGold’s best practices,
conducts mine tour for the members of the press

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan-  OceanaGold Philippines Incorporated, an Australian mining firm located in Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya conducted a mine tour to the local media on June 26, 2018.

The mine tour was initiated to educate the local press on the OGPI’s mining operation: how the company do the underground mining, the recovery of gold and copper thru their process plant, implementation of their social development and management programs in their host and neighboring communities, and how they implement their environmental commitments.

The mine tour was participated in by representatives from Philippine Information Agency, DWPE Radyo Pilipinas, DZCV, Bombo Radyo Cauayan, Philippine News Agency, DZYT sonshine radio, The Northern Forum, and other local press within Tuguegarao City.

Underground Mine

The development of the underground mining operation commenced in early 2015 and the first ore from the underground mine was produced during the first quarter of 2018. It is expected to operate until 2030.

The copper-gold laden ores were being delivered to the processing plant for the recovery of those precious metals while the considered mine waste or rocks that contain less economic copper and gold values goes to the waste rock dump or for other purposes.

Processing Plant

The processing plant utilizes gravity concentration for the recovery of free gold coupled with flotation to produce copper-gold concentrate. The copper concentrates were being shipped to Poro Point then to Singapore while the gold bullion sold to Australia Mint.

The mill tailings as slurry of which about 60% by volume goes to the tailings dam while about 40% goes to the paste fill plant to be processed as cement fill to the voids as a result of extraction of copper-gold laden ores underground.

Tailings Storage Facility

The TSF is constructed to a standard that exceeds the Philippine DENR Guidelines and meets the Australian ANCOLD guidelines, and the International ICOLD guidelines. This means that OGPI’s TSF structure exceeds both the Philippine and International TSF design standard criteria.

The about 60% by volume mill tailings find its final deposition in the TSF. The TSF is provided with dewatering pumps in pontoons pumping accumulating effluent together with precipitation and surface run-offs within the containment area to the water treatment plant to its discharge to the Dinauyan River.

Water Treatment Plant

The water treatment plant was constructed to ensure to compliance to DENR standards particularly on the Total Suspended Solids (TSS). The plant has the capacity of treating 2- million liters of waste water per hour and has the ability to lower Total Suspended Solids (TSS) down to <70ppm.

Paste Plant

This facility is the Philippine mining’s first paste backfill plant. The Paste Backfill system is a new mill tailings management system that creates economical way of providing support and safe working place in underground mining operation.

Backfilling is an important process in Didipio’s underground mining activity. The facility is capable of producing about 50,000 m3/month of paste composed of mill tailings mixed with cement. The paste produced will be used in the underground mine to fill in accomplished stopes.

Social Responsibility

Aiming to leave a legacy of responsible mining, OceanaGold Philippines Inc. aims for a sustainable and self-reliant community after mine life. With this in mind, OceanaGold is implementing its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) through various projects on livelihood, education, infrastructure, and health.

The SDMP is a comprehensive five-year plan of the Contractor/Permit Holder/Lessee authorize to conduct actual mining and milling operations towards the sustained improvement in the living standards of the host and neighboring communities by creating responsible, self-reliant, and resource-based communities capable of developing, implementing, and managing community development programs, projects, and activities in a manner consistent with the principle of people empowerment. For the implementation, an Annual SDMP shall be submitted and duly approved by MGB ROII. 

Progressive Rehabilitation

Progressive rehabilitation is a strategy for minimizing environmental risks by starting the environment restoration/rehabilitation before the end of the mine life. It is incorporated in the approved Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program (EPEP) duly approved by the Contingent Liability and Rehabilitation Fund Steering Committee (CLRF-SC) which spells out the Life of Mine program of the company and for implementation, an Annual EPEP shall be submitted and approved by the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee

Didipio Mine started their rehabilitation of disturbed areas on 2013 prior to Environment Sec. Roy Cimatu’s declaration that all miners should do progressive rehabilitation. However, if we go back to the time that the area is under Climax-Arimco Mining Corporation then later Australasian Philippines Mining Inc. before it became OceanaGold, planting of various tree species were implemented under their Mining Forest Program. At present, a total of 105.99 hectares were already rehabilitated out of the 389.8 hectares disturbed area within the Partial Declaration of Mining Feasibility (PDMF) area of 975 hectares. The difference between the rehabilitated and disturbed area refers to the facilities still being used by the company in their mining operation. 

After the mine tour, three representatives from the local press were given the chance to visit the underground mine to see the on-going activities.