Photo credit: Post Courier - Mineral Resources Authority Managing Director Jerry Garry
Mineral Resources Authority will continue its significant assignment in putting in place the Mining Control System for other operating mines in the country in the next six months.
The project will continue, according to MRA managing director Jerry Garry, with the attention of mining minister Sir Ano Pala.
According to Mr. Garry, MRA will upload all of the modern processing control systems in the mines over the next six months. This would enable MRA to monitor operations across the whole nation from a single MRA street known as the MRA data centre.
The Mining Act Amendments of 1992 allowed MRA to successfully install the Ok Tedi advanced control system into MRA.
The advanced control system will also be monitored at other active mines, including Lihir, Ramu Nickel, Kainantu, and Simberi.
According to Mr. Garry, the initiative was established to allay concerns about the mining industry, which has existed since the founding of Bougainville Copper.
“People seem to be saying that the state has no visibility to how much copper and gold is produced in every mine across our land,” he said.
“The advanced control system allows for MRA to monitor every second the rocks that are coming to the processing plant and as it goes out through the tailings.
“We will be looking at how many tonnes of rocks are coming in, how many metals are extracted by the system, and how much has been reported by tailings for rubbish.
“We will also have cameras monitoring the specific areas of operations.
“It could be the first of its kind anywhere in the world where the state has the visibility on how much copper and gold it produced within the jurisdiction.”
MRA is also considering obtaining technologies to examine the deep deposits of copper and gold that are 500 metres below the surface.
However, the apparatus required to carry out this activity is expensive, and MRA will shortly buy one.
MRA will be able to test for the deeply buried bodies of minerals, according to Mr. Garry, once the equipment is delivered.
“Once we detect those structures and the body, it will open up new front of exploration across the country,” he said.
Reference: Wohi, Lorraine. Post-Courier (20 September 2022). “MRA Keen On Continuing Project”.
