Newmont Minahasa Raya to close mine in 2003
Thursday, October 26 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Gold mining company PT Newmont Minahasa Raya said it would stop mining activities at its gold mine in Minahasa, North Sulawesi in 2001 but it would continue operation there until 2003 to process the remaining gold ore into concentrate.
"We'lll stop mining gold ore by the end of 2001 but we'll continue producing concentrate until mid-2003," company manager of government and community relations Tri Harjono said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the seminar on mining closure organized by the directorate general of mining at the ministry of energy and mineral resources and PT Eco Bumi Nusantara.
He said the company would still produce gold bullion at the rate of 700 kilograms per month until the mine is closed in mid-2003.
The company, which currently operates a 500-hectare gold mine in Minahasa, started production in 1996.
Harjono said under the contract, the company had to carry out reclamation program after it closed the mine but thus far it had not yet formulated a definite reclamation program.
This is because the company and all concerned parties have not yet decided on what the mining site should turn into.
"The discussion is getting underway. It (the mining site) could be turned into agricultural area, production forest or training site for mining industry," Harjono said. (Alex)