Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation and OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc., the only entries of the Philippines in the 1st ASEAN Minerals Awards (AMA), bagged the Best Practice in Minerals Mining and Best Practice in Minerals Processing awards, respectively.
The launch and awarding ceremony was held during the 6th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Minerals on November 30, 2017 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
The winners were chosen by the Board of Judges consisting of 10 judges from each ASEAN Member State, with Indonesia as the chair. They were recognized for their achievements to support an environmentally and socially sustainable minerals sector.
The Best Practices in Minerals Distribution category was awarded to PT Amman Mineral Nusatenggara from Indonesia, while Pipatkorn Co. Ltd from Thailand was the runner-up. The Philippines has no entry in this category.
The runners-up for the Best Practice in Minerals Mining category were:
- PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals from Indonesia, and
- Siam Cement Kaeng Khoi from Thailand.
The runners-up for the Best Practice in Minerals Processing category were:
- PT Antam Persero Tbk from Indonesia, and
- MMG Lanxang Minerals Ltd from Lao PDR.
The 6th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals (AMMin) also recognized best practices in a range of mineral products and processes:
- mining of nickel laterite in the Philippines (Rio Tuba), gold in Indonesia (PT Nusa Halmahera), and limestone quarrying in Thailand (Siam Cement Kaeng Khoi);
- processing of ferronickel in Indonesia (PT Antam), gold ore in the Philippines (OceanaGold), and copper cathodes in Lao PDR (MMG Lanxang); and
- distribution of copper concentrates from Indonesia (PT Amman) and feldspar minerals in Thailand (Pipatkorn).
The trophies, plaques and certificates were presented by the Chairman of 6th AMMin, H.E. U Ohn Win, Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Myanmar.
The certificates for the runners-up for the Best Practice in Minerals Mining category were presented by H.E. Mr. Sok Khavan, Secretary of State, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Cambodia; while for the runners-up for the Best Practice in Minerals Processing and Minerals Distribution categories, the certificates were presented by H.E. Mr. Thongpat Inthavong, Vice Minister of Ministry of Energy and Mines of Lao PDR.
According to the AMMin, the recognition of these companies and the promotion of their best practice will help raise performance by making good examples accessible, encourage government and industry to aspire to higher standards, and spur better ways of doing things.
To recall, the 1st AMA is a project under the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Minerals (ASOMM). Brunei Darussalam led the ASEAN initiative to establish the 1st AMA.
The Philippines’ entries were chosen last March from among the mining companies that participated in the competition. They were screened by the PH-AMA Committee composed of technical experts from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
The MGB is the designated Focal Point for the PH-AMA, being the agency responsible for the minerals sector, according to the rules set by the Special Task Force under the ASOMM.
By: Mineral Economics, Information and Publication Division
Representatives of Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation, winner of the Best Practice in Minerals Mining, with the Chairman of 6th AMMin, H.E. U Ohn Win, Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Myanmar
Representatives of OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc,, winner of the Best Practice in Minerals Processing, with the Chairman of 6th AMMin, H.E. U Ohn Win, Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Myanmar
Winners in the 1st ASEAN Mineral Awards during the awarding ceremony held during the 6th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Minerals on November 30, 2017 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar