The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), through the Metallurgical Technology Division, is forging a Memorandum of Agreement with the Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) of the Department of Science and Technology.

The partnership between the MIRDC and MGB seeks to conduct a study to determine the most suitable iron making technology that will be able to provide the most advanced technological solutions to obtain the most out of the iron resources, for the country's iron and steel industry. It will focus on the local production of iron using available indigenous mineral resources and reductants, and integrating those with the existing steel-making infrastructure.

During the study, bench scale pyro-metallurgical testing of local iron ores will be sourced out to selected foreign metallurgical testing facilities, because currently, there are no existing local laboratories that can do such testing. MIRDC and MGB will also visit existing commercial direct reduction plants in New Zealand, United States of America, Japan and Malaysia.

MIRDC will serve as the implementing agency, while the MGB will serve as the cooperating agency.

MGB will be responsible in:

• • supplying information about the Philippine magnetite sand reserves and other relevant data at the MGB
  • assisting in the acquisition of magnetite sand
  • conducting beneficiation test works to produce adequate amount of concentrate (60% Fe up) needed for bench scale direct reduction test purposes
  • taking part in the bench scale test result evaluation

This study is a follow-up to the previous study conducted by MIRDC and MGB, which concluded that direct reduction technology could be pursued to process local iron ores instead of indirect reduction technology by a Blast Furnace.

Both studies are in line with Section 8 of Executive Order No. 79 which promotes the creation of value-adding activities and development of downstream industries. It aims to maximize mining productivity and benefits, and to make our local mining industry globally competitive.

By: Metallurgical Technology Division

Drum magnetic separator and magnetite concentrate products at MGB-MeTD Laboratory