Why did BHP exit Ok Tedi mine?
BHP Billiton had sought a responsible withdrawal from the project after being unable to secure the agreement of other OTML shareholders for early closure of the mine’s operations. OTML will continue to operate the mine on behalf of the shareholders.
What is the problem with Ok Tedi mine?
The massive amount of mine-derived waste dumped into the river exceeded its carrying capacity. This dumping resulted in the river bed being raised by 10 m, causing a relatively deep and slow river to become shallower and develop rapids, thereby disrupting indigenous transportation routes.
What kind of issues problems did the Ok Tedi mine encounter during construction and operation?
Environmental Issues The Ok Tedi mine originally planned to construct both a tailings dam and a waste rock dump to retain much of the mine derived waste during its mine life. However, in 1984, during construction of the foundation for the tailings dam at Ok Ma, a landslide inundated the area.
Who owns the Ok Tedi mine now?
Ownership. OTML is a 100 percent Papua New Guinea (PNG) owned entity with 67 percent direct shareholding by the Independent State of PNG and the people of Western Province holding a 33 percent interest. 100% of the benefits from its operations are distributed to the people of Western Province and the State.
What does Ok Tedi mine?
The Ok Tedi mine is an open-cut copper, gold and silver mine located at Mt. Fubilan in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea.
When was Ok Tedi mine opened?
1981
Ok Tedi Mining Limited was established in 1981 to mine the Mt. Fubilan copper-gold ore-body discovered in the Star Mountains in the Western Province of PNG just 16km east of the Indonesian border.
Who operates Ok Tedi mine?
How big was the Ok Tedi environmental disaster?
In 1999, BHP reported that 90 million tons of mine waste was annually discharged into the river for more than ten years and destroyed downstream villages, agriculture and fisheries. Mine wastes were deposited along 1,000 km (620 mi) of the Ok Tedi and the Fly River below its confluence with the Ok Tedi, and over an area of 100 km 2 (39 sq mi).
Where was the Ok Tedi copper mine located?
In 1998, the leaders of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) faced the necessity to resolve the ethical problem related to the significant environmental pollution, which could lead to the ecological catastrophe. Thus, the BHP owned 52% of shares in the Ok Tedi copper mine located in Papua New Guinea.
Where was the Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea?
One of the worst environmental disasters caused by humans, it is a consequence of the discharge of about two billion tons of untreated mining waste into the Ok Tedi from the Ok Tedi Mine, an open pit mine in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea .
What did BHP Billiton dump into the Ok Tedi River?
BHP dumped 80,000 tons of tailings (rock waste) containing copper, zinc, cadmium and lead directly into the Fly and Ok Tedi Rivers every day for two decades.