Metal Bulletin - by Mark Burton, mburton@metalbulletin.com
London 04/10/2016 - OceanaGold is engaging with officials in the Philippines to clarify why the Didipio copper mine was among the 23 mining operations at risk of suspension in an audit of the country's natural resources sector, the company said.
The Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) identified Didipio as having "alleged outstanding social issues" in an audit released on September 27. The company's Australia Stock Exchange-listed shares have fallen 17.5 percent since the results of the audit were announced.
"Over the past several days following the DENR press conference, the Company has engaged directly with the DENR Secretary [Regina] Lopez and other senior government officials to gain clarity on the findings identified with respect to the Didipio operation," it said in a further update on Tuesday.
Discussions have been "constructive" and the company will continue to engage with officials to highlight the benefits the mine has brought to local communities during its operation, OceanaGold said.
"I am highly confident that our Didipio operations will continue to operate without interruption as the Didipio Mine sets the benchmark for responsible mining based on international best practices and serves as the template for the type of operation that President Duterte and his administration are seeking for all mining operations in the Philippines," OceanaGold CEO and president Mick Wilkes said in a statement.
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