MRL Gold Philippines Inc. will spend at least $12 million more for its nickel mining site in Surigao over the next three years before it can complete its exploration stage and then proceed to the $500-million mineral processing operation.

Tony Climie, president and chief executive officer of MRL Gold Phils., said the company hopes to get the production going in three years, although it still needs to ascertain the potential of the Agata nickel laterite mining site. “We are still a long way from production. We need to see the resources if it would be economically viable,” he said.

MRL, a subsidiary of Canada’s Mindoro Resources Ltd., has four ongoing explorations in the country in Batangas, Iloilo, Surigao and Agusan, and has already spent about $20 million in a span of 12 years, Climie said.  He said the company is really focused now on the Agata site and would spend $4 million more per year for the next three years for the exploration phase.

Thus far, Climie said exploration has already presented 7 million to 8 million metric tons (MT) of nickel although its potential is up to 40 million MT.

“We are looking at a 15 to 20 years’ lifespan,” he said.

Once exploration is done, Climie said the company will proceed to the processing stage, and the technology it is inclined to adopt is the so-called “atmospheric bleaching.”

A processing plant of this nature, he said, would entail at least $500 million in investment.

The atmospheric, or cold tank, bleaching, Climie said, is one of the seven technologies that they are considering.

The site of the plant, he said, should be near the ocean, the power source and the nickel deposits.

Climie said they will sell the output to China and India.

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MRL Gold to spend $12M more for its nickel mining site in Surigao

MRL Gold Philippines Inc. will spend at least $12 million more for its nickel mining site in Surigao over the next three years before it can complete its exploration stage and then proceed to the $500-million mineral processing operation.

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