Apex Mining seeks amended permit for Sangilo expansion
A subsidiary of listed gold producer Apex Mining Co. Inc., under the Razon Group, is spending P519 million to expand the Sangilo mine in Itogon, Benguet.
Itogon-Suyoc Resources Inc. (ISRI) is seeking to amend the environmental compliance certificate to boost the mine site’s production capacity, expand the project area and add new components.
ISRI aims to increase the tonnage of the Sangilo mine to 510 tons per day (tpd) from 500 tpd. The long-term plan is to gradually raise its annual production capacity to reach an operating capacity of 1,900 tpd.
“Since the resumption of Sangilo Mine operation in 2012, ISRI is gradually increasing the production capacity of the plant,” ISRI said in an application filed with the Environmental Management Bureau.
The plant increased its capacity to 50 tpd in 2014, 200 tpd in 2018 and 500 tpd in 2021. These were all within the company’s patented claims.
But for the planned production expansion, ISRI said it will come not only from its patented claims and application for production sharing agreement (Apsa) 103. This will also be based on the operation of a small-scale mine within Apsa 103, ISRI’s 43-hectare tenement in Itogon.
Citing a review done by Australia-based mining company Dalton Pacific Resources, Inc., ISRI said the mine can be sustained for 86 years at 500 tpd or 18 years at 1,900 tpd.
“Additional resource from the Go-Wrong Breccia will add another 16 years to the mine life, for a possible 34 years of operation at 1,900 tpd,” the company said.
Sangilo mine has a pending application for a mineral property sharing agreement, meant to renew and replace its lease mining contract, which lapsed in 2012. If approved, the mine site’s project area will expand to 434 hectares.
ISRI introduced the Tabaan Low Tonnage Operation as part of Apsa 103 to support small-scale miners in its host communities.
This entails employing qualified and duly registered cooperatives or associations of small-scale miners as service contractors.
The initiative is targeting to produce 10 tons of ore per day and process this in a separate low-tonnage mill plant. The latter will be operated under the supervision of company representatives.
“With this project scheme, the company aims to help small-scale miners by reducing their environmental impacts, introducing safer mining and milling operations, and providing an area for a sustainable livelihood,” ISRI said.
The firm will provide safety and health orientations, training enhancements and other support, including equipment related to mining activities to prepare small-scale miners for the operation.
