The Mines and Geosciences Bureau issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2016-05 on May 16, 2016 establishing the Guidelines on Offshore Mining.

The MC covers mining operations, mine decommissioning and mine rehabilitation in offshore areas within the Philippine territory and its exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelf.

Among the most notable provisions of the MC include: the prohibition on the use of high-pressure water jets in the extraction of seabed minerals; prohibition on the use of chemicals and size reduction in onboard mineral processing and laboratory testing/analysis; return of non-valuable extracted minerals to mined-out areas through the use of submerged discharge pipes and use of sediment screens/curtains to minimize the dispersion of particulates; and imposition of a contingency plan for emergency situations.

The MC also iterated that offshore mining shall comply with other laws, rules and regulations that concern safety, health, social development and environmental protection and enhancement.

The issuance of the Guidelines is geared towards the attainment of responsible offshore minerals utilization.

By: Mining Technology Division