https://www.miningweekly.com

Didipio mine, the Philippines

17th July 2015

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

  

Font size: - +

Name: Didipio mine.

Location: The Didipio mine is located in Luzon, about 270 km north of Manila, in the Philippines.
Controlling Company: OceanaGold.
Brief History: OceanaGold acquired the Didipio mine through the merger with Climax Mining in November 2006. A local partner is entitled to a free carried interest of 8% in the operating vehicle of the mine. In June 2011, OceanaGold restarted construction of the high-grade Didipio gold/copper mine. Construction of the mine and the mineral processing facility to the north of the openpit was completed in the fourth quarter of 2012. Following successful construction and commissioning, OceanaGold declared commercial production at the mine on April 1, 2013.

Brief Description: Didipio is an openpit/underground gold/copper operation, with an estimated mine life to 2030.

Products: Gold/copper.

Geology/Mineralisation: Chalcopyrite, a sulphide mineral of copper and iron, and gold are the main economic minerals in the Didipio deposit. Chalcopyrite occurs as fine-grained disseminations, aggregates, fracture fillings and stockwork veins, particularly in the vein zone of alteration. Some bornite, also a sulphide mineral of copper and iron, is also present.

The orebody contains a higher concentration of copper near surface and, hence, copper production in the early years is expected to be higher than the average life-of-mine production and lower in the later years.

Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2013, were estimated at 45.65-million tonnes grading 1.09 g/t of gold.

Resources: Total measured and indicated resources as at December 31, 2013, were estimated at 61-million tonnes grading 1.05 g/t of gold. Inferred resources were 14.7-million tonnes grading 0.6 g/t of gold.

Mining Method: Openpit and underground. The openpit mine is expected to operate on its own for the first four years of opera- tion, with the underground development currently planned to start with minimal ore in years 5 to 7. Openpit and underground activities will run concurrently until the pit is completed in Year 12, with final low-grade ore stockpiles from openpit mining to be milled at the conclusion of the openpit and underground operations.

Major Infrastructure and Equipment: Ore is processed using a conventional semiautogenous/ball mill grinding circuit followed by froth flotation for the recovery of copper/gold concentrate. A gravity circuit is incorporated in the grinding circuit to produce gold bullion on site. Concentrate is transported by road to existing port facilities for export.

Prospects: In the quarter ended March 31, OceanaGold started with the development of the underground decline at Didipio and continued to advance the power grid connection.

Contact Person: Media relations, Andrea Atell.
Contact Details:
tel +61 3 9656 5300,
fax +61 3 9656 5333,
email info@oceanagold.com, and
website http://www.oceanagold.com.

Edited by Leandi Kolver
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION