Mine ‘not completely shut’

THE management of a mine forced to close last week by the Government for not complying with rules has assured stakeholders it is not completely shut down.
Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd, the multi-million kina nickel and cobalt developer in Madang, said in a statement it was “closed indefinitely to comply with safety matters” but not completely shut down and should be back in operation soon.
The company confirmed that the Mine’s Inspectorate with the Mineral Resources Authority had issued two orders for remedial measures following a slurry spillage on August 24, 2019 and safety issues concerning a contractor.
“On Friday October 18, 2019, MRA issued an instruction for an indefinite shutdown of E143 Neutralisation Tank at Basamuk Refinery, which causes all operation to stop because of its critical importance,” the company statement said.
“Most remedial works have been completed successfully from the remedial measures but MRA is not satisfied with the remedial work done on the critical part of the Basamuk Refinery Operation, E143 Neutralisation Tank.
“The slurry that comes from Kurumbukari mine must go through this tank. And once shut down for remedial work, it inevitably affects our operation. This is the critical area.”
The company said it would work with the MRA and other statutory bodies to ensure all requirements were met to avoid the recurrence of similar safety issues.
“We have committed our time, efforts and resources in ensuring that we comply with all the remedies within the given time. It is normal that we may not have met all MRA’s requirements so we will work closely with MRA to get these done,” Ramu NiCo said. Operation at the Kurumbukari Mine is unaffected and other plants at Basamuk are in operation except for the E143 Neutralisation Tank.