Apex Mining Co. said it will restart full operations at its Maco mine in Davao de Oro on Wednesday after provincial authorities lifted a temporary suspension imposed following a magnitude 7.4 offshore earthquake on Oct. 10.
The company said workers evacuated to muster points after the 9:43 a.m. quake near Manay, Davao Oriental.
Site assessments by engineers and safety officers found no significant damage to major infrastructure and no injuries, and underground and mill operations initially resumed.
The provincial government later ordered a precautionary halt to all mining activity on the night of Oct. 10 amid aftershocks, pending inspections by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Apex said it complied, ceasing mining and milling except for safety-critical work such as underground dewatering and ventilation, and processing only ore already at the mill.
Inspectors from MGB Region XI and the provincial disaster office visited the Maco site on Oct. 11. Following their assessment, the governor issued an executive order on Oct. 14 lifting the suspension, allowing Apex to fully resume operations on Oct. 15.
Business News Asia
