China’s Ramu Nickel developer aims to lower environmental impact
Thursday, 13 March 2008
The Ramu nickel-cobalt operations, estimated to cost $US1.3 billion, is accessing top-class international advice to ensure its deep sea tailings program involves a state-of-the-art operation. By Brian Gomez
The mine is expected to commence production in late 2009 and is being built by China’s Ramu NiCo Management (MCC), a subsidiary of the newly forged MCC-JJJ Mining Development Co Ltd.
In a recent discussion, MCC-JJJ’s chairperson and president, Madam Luo Shu, told PNGIndustryNews.net she intends to make sure that the controversial deep sea tailings emplacement program incorporates the best available technology.
Some 5 million tonnes a year of tailings from the refinery in Basamuk will be piped to a deep ocean outfall about 150m below sea level, where the material is expected to flow down the steeply sloping seafloor to eventually reach the ocean floor in the Vitiaz Basin.
Based on the behaviour of existing deep sea placement systems, such as the one at Lihir, the tailings are expected to ‘mimic’ the behaviour of natural land-derived sediments discharged into the ocean on Papua New Guinea’s north coast.
The main difference is that rivers discharge into a near shore environment, while tailings will be discharged at a depth of 150m and “have no near surface impacts”.
Preliminary environmental studies undertaken from 1993-99 by the former 100%-owner Highlands Pacific had already cost more than $US5 million.
On the basis of this work and a detailed review by PNG’s Department of Environment and Conservation, along with a third-party peer review, the Government approved the environment plan for the Ramu project on March 21, 2000.
The marginal project economics made it difficult for Highlands Pacific and its financial advisers to seek out joint venture partners despite a global search and the PNG Government eventually managed to entice a company in China to take on the venture.
A project agreement was sealed by the two parties in 2005.
Since then the cost of building Ramu Nickel has soared from the original $US850 million estimate to $US1.3 billion.
Engineering design for the deep sea tailings disposal was undertaken last year by the Canadian specialists, Hayco.
In August last year the Department of Environment and Conservation subsequently hired an independent Australian environmental engineering company, Cardno Acil, to review the Hayco design.
This led to the granting of an environmental permit for the construction and operation of Ramu Nickel last November.
Since taking over operations, Ramu NiCo Management has also spent $US1.2 million on environmental baseline surveys.
This has involved updating the database for sediment characteristics, marine fishery, local health and dietary habits, stream and air quality and meteorological information.
The fishery potential was tested both along the steeply sloping seabed as well as along shallow water reef fisheries.
The status of coral reefs and coral reef fish along the fringing corals was estimated and underwater digital recordings taken.
Other engineering companies that have collaborated in engineering, process and manufacturing studies include Hatch (Canada and Australia), Dynatec (Canada), Brass (US), Pipeline Systems Inc (US) and Monsanto Chemical Engineering (US) and Enesar Environmental Engineering (Australia).
Two Chinese companies have also been involved in technical studies – Shanghai Morimatsu Pressure Vessel and the Beijing General Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy.
At Kurumbukari, from which nickel ore will be transported via a slurry pipeline to the plant at Basamuk, the minesite will be progressively rehabilitated as mining proceeds.
Even before the start of mining, Ramu NiCo Management has already built a nursery to provide plants and other vegetation for rehabilitation and erosion control during the construction phase
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