DMCI Mining Corporation’s Berong nickel project in Palawan will resume operations after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) lifted the suspension on the mining site last November 2018.
According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Berong Nickel yielded 867,817 wet metric tons (WMT) in 2015 which decreased to 341,190 WMT in 2016.
For two years, DMCI nearly depleted selling higher-grade ore inventory after DENR ordered the closure of Berong Nickel in 2016 which was followed by the closure of Zambales Diversified Metals, the company’s second nickel operation, due to environmental violations in February 2017.
Overall, the company still managed to ship 643,000 WMT of nickel ore in 2018, 22 percent higher compared to 2017’s 525,000 WMT.
The average nickel grade of the shipments rose 13 percent to 1.7 percent during 2018.
This year, however, grade of nickel ore shipments is just projected at 1.57 percent resulting to DMCI Mining remaining in tough situation.
DMCI Mining president Cesar Simbulan said the company will ship mostly lower-grade nickel ore in 2019.
