OceanaGold resumes Didipio mine operations

MANILA, Philippines — Listed mining firm OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI) has resumed its mining and milling activities at its Didipio mine in Nueva Vizcaya after it was temporarily halted following a fatality late Friday evening.

OGPI investor relations manager Marjorie Idio said mining and milling activities resumed at the mine last Saturday, which was within the 24-hour temporary suspension ordered by the miner’s parent company.

“We have not yet resumed operations of the paste plant, which is the area where the deceased worker was found,” Idio told The STAR yesterday.

“The focus remains to be on supporting the family and our colleagues during this difficult time,” Idio added.

The firm’s parent company, OceanaGold Corp. (OGC), revealed in a recent statement that one of its employees at Didipio mine was “fatally injured” last June 21.

“The employee was found unresponsive on the ground in the vicinity of the paste plant on June 21 local time and was unable to be revived at the onsite medical clinic,” OGC said in its news release.

The operations of the Didipio mine was voluntarily suspended by the Australian-Canadian firm for 24 hours “to allow the workforce to be informed.”

OGC said Philippine regulators and the next of kin of the deceased have been notified of the unfortunate incident.

“An investigation is underway,” it said.

“The company is focused on supporting the family and colleagues of the employee during this difficult time,” it added.

OGPI made its market debut a little over a month ago and became the country’s initial public offering curtain raiser this year.

Shares of the mining firm on Friday closed at P14 apiece, up 1.3 percent versus the P13.82 closing share price last Thursday.

OGPI saw its net income plunge by almost half in the first quarter as lower mine production and sales pulled down revenues. The firm reported a net income of $11.5 million, down by 48 percent from $22.1 million it recorded a year ago.

The foreign miner expects Didipio mine to produce between 120,000 and 135,000 ounces of gold and 12,000 metric tons to 14,000 metric tons of copper this year despite a slowdown in its first quarter output.