Semirara confident on coal output despite Panian depletion

MANILA, Philippines - Semirara Mining and Power Corp. expects no interruption in its coal production even if it has fully exhausted mineable reserves in its Panian Pit as it has two more coal mines in Antique, its top official said.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Semirara said it received a Department of Energy (DOE) certification dated Sept. 26 certifying and confirming the depletion of the mineable coal reserves of the Panian Pit of Coal Operating Contract (COC) No. 5.

“The corporation’s coal production in Panian Pit has ceased effective Sept. 26, 2016,” it said.

The certification, signed by DOE Undersecretary Donato Marcos, was a result of validation made by the DOE technical staff from Sept. 20 to 21.

“Thus, the corporation’s coal production in Panian Pit will cease and rehabilitation of the area shall be undertaken,” the company said.

Panian is one of the open-pit mines in the 55-square kilometer area in Semirara Island, apart from the Unong Mine which ceased operations in 2000.

Two fatal accidents took place in the said mine. In February 2013, a fatal landslide also occurred at the mine site in Caluya town that had trapped 13 miners. Another landslide happened in July 2015 which took the lives of nine coal miners.

Despite the Panian Pit depletion, Semirara still has two operating mines in the Semirara Island, which are the Molave and Narra Pits, its company chairman said.

“We are already operating Molave and Narra Pits. No disruption in operations,” Semirara chairman Isidro Consunji said in a text message.

In February, Semirara secured an environmental certificate compliance (ECC) for a total project area of 3,825.25 hectares within COC No. 5 and this includes the Narra and Molave coal project at Barangay Semirara, Caluya, Antique.

Semirara expects a total of 16 million metric tons (MT) of coal production annually from these mines.

Recently, the company was put under fire when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a show cause order to explain why violations were committed in in its Molave Coal Mine Expansion Project based on complaints of the local communities in Antique.

The issue is still being scrutinized by the DENR even as the DOE cleared Semirara of all environmental-related issues based on audits.