Mine Rehab Costs Drop from PHP 3.5M Hectare to PHP 1.3M Hectare as OceanaGold Adopts New Ecological Approach

Mining firm OceanaGold cut rehab expenses from P3.5 million hectare to P1.3 million hectare per hectare with its new ecological strategy, Philstar reports.

The company said the shift was driven by the ecosystem-based rehabilitation method, called the Harmony in Diversity (HiD) Effect. It reduced the costs by two-thirds while accelerating biodiversity recovery in its mining areas.

â€œThe shift to the HiD approach has allowed us to significantly reduce costs while accelerating ecosystem recovery, providing a more sustainable model for post-mining rehabilitation,â€ OceanaGold said.

According to OceanaGold, the approach shortens regeneration time. Areas that previously needed up to 15 years to reach ecological stability can now do so within three to five years.

The company said savings from rehabilitation are being reallocated to other environmental programs, including reforestation, biodiversity monitoring, and watershed management.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau defines progressive rehabilitation as an engineering and biological process that aligns with approved post-mining land use while supporting biodiversity recovery. OceanaGold noted that its HiD approach meets these requirements.

The firm added that the method can be replicated across other mining operations facing similar ecological challenges.

In June, OceanaGold also announced plans to spend about P280 million on exploration activities within its 7,000-hectare permit area this year.

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