Carmen Copper unaffected by Scarborough standoff

CEBU, Philippines - Even with the escalating tension between the Philippines and China over Scarborough Shoal, the largest copper-producing company in Visayas remains unaffected and the demand for copper from their Chinese clients is in fact increasing.

Engineer Josue Bordon, Assistant Vice President for Administration of Carmen Copper Corp. (CCC), said 90 percent of their buyers are companies from China and this figure did not lessen a bit, even with the tension between the two countries.

“Wala na’y effect sa Carmen Copper Corp. so far,” Bordon yesterday told reporters, who were part of the Facilitated Mine and Plant Tour of the corporation’s 1,800-heactare mining area in Toledo City, Cebu.

Bordon said they are not directly affected as they have a trader, the Swiss-owned MIR Trading, which directly purchases their produce. This company then looks for the buyer and that has mostly since been China. Their other buyers include South Korea and a company here in the Philippines, he added.

Lorimer Pagdalian, CCC Milling Operation Superintendent, said they are meeting the daily quota of 42,000 tons of copper concentrate, which means three cargo vessels of the said chemical every month.

“Gaanam gani ug kasaka among quota,” Pagdalian said. The price per pound of copper concentrate, he said, is $3.4.

Christopher John Salcedo, Environment Department Manager of CCC, said they conducted reforestation on mining sites that are left behind once they transfer to another pit.

Since late last year, CCC has been developing the Carmen Pit where it plans to transfer mining operations by 2013 or 2014. CCC has already recovered a truckload of ore needed for producing copper as of yesterday. Currently, CCC is mining at the Lutopan Pit.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7, which organized yesterday’s tour, said people need to know that mining operations these days, particularly the large-scale ones, are far different from mining operations before.

“Okay na man kaayo ang mining karon, unlike before na destructive. Naa na’y balaod ana and gisunod kana sa Carmen Copper,” said Alex Ozoa, chief of MGB environment and safety division.

Ozoa said they conduct safety inspections twice a year and environmental inspections quarterly at CCC and other mining companies. He said they have not recorded lapses on CCC’s part.

Nearly 60 participants from the academe, national government agencies, NGOs, local government units and other stakeholders attended the tour CCC is a subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp.  (FREEMAN)