From Kitco Websitehttps://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2005060636243.html
4 mining projects start commercial operations
By MELODY M. AGUIBA
Four of the government’s 23 priority mining projects including the Teresa gold project of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. (LCMC) have started commercial operations, signalling increased mining activity which are seen to boost the country’s metal production this year.
Aside from Lepanto’s Teresa gold project, the three currently operating mines are Palawan high pressure acid leach project of the Coral Bay Nickel Corp. (CBNC) in Bataraza, Palawan; Canatuan Gold Project of the TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVI-RDP) in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte; and the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project of the Lafayette Philippines Inc. (LPI) in Rapu Rapu, Albay.
As of the first quarter of the year, LCMC’s Teresa mine produced 49,340 metric tons (MT) of ore; 6,033 ounces of gold; and 7,753. LCMC will continue to explore its mine site in Mankayan, Benguet under its mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) for any additional ore reserves. However it needs the final approval of its feasibility study (FS) and three-year work program for this. Teresa began operating since April 2004.
CBNC’s Palawan nickel project just started operations on April 13, 2005. For April, it treated 38,353 MT of nickel ore, producing 341 dry metric tons (DMT) of nickel and 28 DMT of cobalt.
The Canatuan gold project of TVI-RDP which started operations in 2003 at 80 to 120 tons per day (TPD) has so far expanded its production capacity to 250 TPD as of October 2004. It is further expanding the production of its oxide orebody and will develop sulfide orebody to an increased production capacity of 800 TPD within two years. Canatuan needs to secure a business permit from local government units for its expansion and is set to submit its FS for its entire MPSA contract area.
Edwin G. Domingo, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) assistant director, indicated the start of the commercial operations of four mines is stirring up interest in the local mining sector. While the Rapu Rapu polymetallic project has already started operations last May, Domingo said this mine in Albay will officially begin producing metals in June this year.
"Rapu Rapu started mining earlier, but its gold plant will be operational by (the latter part of) June yet. It’s good to begin mining so that by the time the plant is already okay, you’ll start producing gold," he said in an interview.
Rapu Rapu will be producing 50,000 ounces of gold per year, 10,000 MT of copper, 14,000 MT of zinc and 600,000 ounces of silver.
Another incoming operating mine is the Padcal Copper expansion project of Philex Mining Corp. in Padcal, Tuba, Benguet which is set to begin commercially operating by the first quarter of 2006. The expansion will extend Padcal’s mine life by seven years.
With this copper mine along with other prospective copper projects (Didipio in Nueva Vizcaya, Toledo in Cebu, Tampakan in South Cotabato and Davao del Sur, and Batong Buhay in Pasil, Kalinga), the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp. (PASAR) project is foreseeing its reduced import dependence for copper concentrate over the next few years and is targeting to source 95 percent of its raw material need locally.
The rest of the 23 priority mines are the AdlayCagdianao-Tandawa Nickel project in Surigao del Sur (commercial operations set by July 2007); Didipio copper (production in 2007); Masbate gold in Arroyo, Masbate (2007); Siana gold in Surigao del Norte (January 2006); Toledo copper (2008); Diwalwal gold in Monkayo, Compostela Valley; Tampakan (2009); Akle Cement in Bulacan; Batong Buhay copper-gold; Amacan copper-gold; KingKing coppergold; Itogon gold in Benguet (2009); Far Southeast Gold in Mankayan, Benguet; Boyongan copper in Surigao del Norte; Pujada Nickel in Davao Oriental; Mindoro Nickel in Victoria, Mindoro Oriental; Nonoc Nickel in Surigao City; and San Antonio Copper in Marinduque.