Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) Managing director and chief executive officer Musje Werror has revealed that this month, it will commission its new K800 million crusher.
“The old crusher will be decommissioned and removed by the end of the year to allow access to high-grade ore on the East Wall, which will come into production in 2023,” Werror said.
Werror said that this was identified as a strategic imperative by OTML’s strategic planning committee in 2016, and led to the net value of the mines - which are increasing from US$1.9 billion (K6.72bil) in 2015 to US$3.3 billion (K11.66bil) in 2020.
This also involved a mine life extension from 2026 to 2029.
Major projects general manager Mark Thomson said that the commissioning of the crusher is within budget and its safe construction showed an important milestone for the mine. “The safe construction and commissioning of the CRP within the approved budget represents a significant milestone for OTML and demonstrates what can be achieved by working as One Team Wan Pasin. This is illustrated by the fact that the CRP team recently celebrated two years lost time injury-free and 3 million hours worked.”
The OTML board and management targets to prolong the mine life “for as long as sustainably possible” and aims to generate benefits to stakeholders via compensation, dividends, services, training and business opportunities, royalties, employment, and infrastructure.
