Plants to boost alluvial mining

MOROBE’S venture into alluvial mining was boosted with the launch of Morobe Alluvial Mining Ltd’s (MAML) processing operations in Wau, Bulolo, recently.
Chief executive officer of the Morobe government company MAML, Brigitta Pondros, said the company was partnering with landowner groups and hoped to open three more processing plants over the next 12 months.
“We hope by the end of 2022 we should have nine mines operating concurrently and three in preparation for going into operation,” she said.
“We are hoping to produce in bulk as the alluvial miners here in the district produce less because of their daily consumption to subsidise their living.”
Pondros said the company was targeting production of around 20 kilogrammes a month on each tenement.
She said this would depend on the recovery of the daily production – what they made daily.
“If we make between 700 grams to a kilogramme a day then we’re looking at 20kg a month,” Pondros said.
She said MAML was hoping to make more out of the production because it had the machinery and equipment.
“A lot of people have excavators around here and they do only digging and use homemade wash plants.
“We are the first company to bring in wash plant machinery.
She said MAML was recognised and had Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) approval as well as that of the Climate and Environment Protection Authority.