DENR approves Intex Resources nickel project in Mindoro

MANILA, Philippines - Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose L. Atienza has approved the application of Intex Resources Phils., for a mineral production sharing agreement for its project in Mindoro Occidental, Mines and Geosciences Bureau director Horacio Ramos said yesterday.

In a recent courtesy call, Intex officials told Atienza that they would invest up to $3 billion on their Mindoro Nickel project which will be reconfigured to also produce fertilizer as a by-product of its primary nickel mining and processing project.

Intex said the fertilizer would help meet the country’s fertilizer requirements. Intex’s move would make its Mindoro project not only the Philippines’ largest and most modern nickel plant with a target production of 40,000 tons per annum of nickel metal, but also the largest fertilizer plant with a production of as much as 200,000 tons a year of ammonium sulphate, a commonly used fertilizer.

Intex president Jose Leo Gamolo said the Mindoro nickel project could “substantially support Philippine agriculture by providing a reliable and local source for its most commonly used fertilizer.”

Aside from ammonium sulphate, the Mindoro plant would also produce cobalt compounds in the form of sulphates, carbonates, hydroxides and oxides.

A consumer application of cobalt compounds is in the production of rechargeable batteries for cellular phones.

In the field of agriculture, cobalt compounds could be blended with fertilizer or used as a dietary supplement for livestock.

The plant would utilize carbon-free energy in producing nickel and by-products such as fertilizer and cobalt compounds.

The Intex plant will supposedly not be dependent on Mindoro’s power grid for its requirements.

Intex’s Philippine partners in the Mindoro nickel project are Aglubang Mining Corp. and Alag-ag Mining, Inc.

A full feasibility study of the nickel project is still being undertaken with Aker Solutions of Australia and is scheduled for completion by December this year.