Firm reports tailing pipe in good condition

IMAGES captured by a remotely operated vehicle during a recent inspection showed that the deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP) pipe that Ramu NiCo uses  at Basamuk Bay in Rai Coast, Madang, is in good order.
A report by Ramu NiCo’s health safety and environment department following the  inspection said there was a sign of structural disintegration such as leakage of tailing.
The pipeline maintained its design integrity for safe disposal of tailing, the Ramu NiCo management said in a statement.
The statement said the inspection and diving were conducted on June 3 by Australian specialists and Ramu NiCo’s corporate environment personnel with assistance from the Basamuk-based environment officers.
According to the management’s report, visual images also showed marine ecology along the pipeline  was unaffected.
“Marine life was abundant and signs of stress not notable,” it said.
The inspection was to check the integrity of the pipeline.
“The inspection involved driving a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) along the entire length of the pipeline which captures a visual of its route with high-powered cameras and displayed on LCD screen installed onboard a vessel. Observatory inspections are done on the display.
“The DSTP inspection for this year was slightly altered to the extent of involving divers to clean the seawater intake pipeline which is only 20m below sea level.”
The cleaning was done by scuba divers to ensure that correct volume of seawater was taken into the mixing tank to mix with the tailings.