The Ministry of Energy and Mines has cleared Cormidom, the Chinese mining company located in central Monseñor Nouel province to reopen mining exploitation activities. The Ministry has agreed with the mining company to implement changes in several of the mining procedures to prevent worker deaths and accidents. In August 2022, the country watched as two miners were trapped inside. A rescue operation was successful. Now measures are taken not to repeat the situation.
Cormidom is the first underground mining operation in the Dominican Republic. The “Cerro de Maimón Sur” underground mine began operations in 2019 with a projection of a nominal yield of 1.2 million tons of ore per year, and more than US$2 billion from the commercialization of minerals. The underground operation extends the duration of the mine until 2032, with a maximum production of 20,000 tons of copper concentrate and 20,000 tons of zinc when the peak of production is reached.
Deputy Minister of Mines Miguel Diaz told Diario Libre that after the closing of the mine following the August incident, a new procedure is being implemented. The mining company has agreed to mine backward, instead of forward. Miners will extract the ore after the main tunnel is fully extended. In this way, miners will not be trapped deep in the mine if there is a collapse.
Cormidom is also working to update its mining plan and geotechnical and structural studies. The company is also speeding up the process of installing equipment to monitor movements within the underground mine.
Diaz said all the efforts are focused on increasing safety and lowering worker risks.
Vice Minister Diaz told Diario Libre that the investigation into the accident that trapped two company miners for 10 days has concluded. The tunnel design failed when the calculations of the weight carried by the support pillars proved wrong, according to the Vice-Ministry of Mines.
The Ministry of Mines said it is contracting an independent mining expert to continue to monitor the situation at the mine.
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Diario Libre
6 October 2022