OceanaGold given seven days to clear Didipio questions

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Triple-listed gold miner OceanaGold has maintained optimism over the future of its Didipio operations, in the Philippines, after receiving a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) along with an audit report on the mine.

A number of recommendations were made in the audit report, relating mostly to a need to further educate a broader group of stakeholders on specific aspects of operations.

OceanaGold president and CEO Mick Wilkes said that the vast majority of recommendations related to the need to further expand the company’s information, education and communication programme.

Furthermore, the report noted that OceanaGold has extended more than what had been required by the company, by law, and that the Didipio project complied with its permitting requirements. The report also noted that the operation was being governed by a sufficient environmental management system.

“The Didipio mine is a world-class operation that operates in accordance with the highest industry standards for health, safety, environment, community and sustainability,” Wilkes said on Tuesday.

“The results of the audit report and discussions we’ve had with the audit team and with government officials, including those in the DENR, clearly demonstrate this.”

OceanaGold has seven days to address the findings and recommendations contained in the audit report.

“In our discussions with the DENR and [other] government officials, we have good alignment and we look forward to our collective efforts to advance a responsible mining sector. As such, I am very confident that our responses to the DNR will satisfy all of the findings and recommendations that have been raised,” Wilkes said.

The Philippines government at the end of September released the results of a nation-wide environmental mine audit, which recommended the suspension of a number of mines, including OceanaGold’s flagship Didipio copper and gold mine.