Canatuan Project

At A Glance
Ownership TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. — 100%
Location Sitio Canatuan, Barangay Tabayo, Siocon Municipality,
Zamboanga del Norte
Business activities Gold and silver production (2004-2007)
Copper and Zinc concentrates production (2008-2013)
Total Production Gold (Au): 105,200 ounces
Silver (Ag): 1.8 million ounces
135,694 Gold (Au) equivalent ounces
Copper (Cu): 199,778 dmt
Zinc (Zn): 30,548 dmt
Current Manpower Peak employment of 1,200
Logistics Upland mining areas are approximately 1.0-hour driving time to the port area in Santa Maria, Siocon Municipality
Project Phase Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Stage

Canatuan is TVIRD’s 100%-owned flagship project in the Philippines. By virtue of its Mineral Processing Sharing Agreement (MPSA), TVIRD is the first company in the country to operate under the Philippine Mining Law enacted in 1995. From 2004 to mid-2008 TVIRD produced gold and silver doré from an overlying gossan (oxidized) portion of the deposit. As this upper portion of the orebody was mined out, the underlying primary sulphide portion of the deposit containing copper and zinc was exposed.

By November 2008, TVIRD had completed construction of a sulphide production plant to process the underlying sulphide orebody containing copper and zinc and commenced commercial production of copper concentrate in March 2009. From March 2009 to February 2014, TVIRD completed 39 shipments of copper concentrate for a total volume of 1,959,778 dmt and seven shipments of zinc concentrate for a total volume of 30,548 dmt. Milling operations concluded in January 2014, pending the results of assessing various mine life extension and expansion opportunities.

As Canatuan is the first mining project to operate under the Philippine Mining Law, it is also the first project to be concluded under the same law.  And at the success rate of its current rehabilitation, it may likewise be the first to complete its final rehabilitation program – further expanding TVIRD’s leadership in environmental management.

The Canatuan Project site is located in a 508-hectare MPSA area in the agricultural town of Siocon, province of Zamboanga del Norte. It is accessible by air to Zamboanga City Airport and continue on by land – approximately 5.0 hours driving time via RT Lim and Balguian Municipalities. The port area in Santa Maria, Siocon Municipality is accessible at approximately 1.0-hour driving time.

The upland area is inhabited mainly by the indigenous Subanon tribe – rightful ancestral domain claimants – as well as other non-tribal communities. Prior to operating, TVIRD sought the tribe’s free, prior and informed consent; thus, securing from them the social license to operate and sharing a common development roadmap for the future.

Canatuan is a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit located in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte. Volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, like Canatuan, rarely occur in isolation. Exploration on the properties suggests 40+ kilometers (25+ miles) of the same type of geology that hosts the Canatuan orebody.

The Canatuan processing plant has been decommissioned and equipment reconditioned for use in the Balabag Project (See: Balabag Gold-Silver Project). Among the prospects TVIRD is exploring are possible new discoveries from exploration drill targets outside of the pit area, possible production of pyrite concentrates, re-processing of tails and harnessing possible economic deposits from outside the current MPSA – Malusok and SE Malusok – which are located at a short trucking distance from the Canatuan mine pit. TVIRD’s application for expansion of its current MPSA to include these deposits in areas adjacent to its current contract area had been approved by the MGB.

Following the end of mining and processing operations in January 2014, decommissioning and rehabilitation activities within the disturbed areas commenced. Approximately 187.39 hectares are subject to the closure programs as identified in the approved Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan (FMRDP).

Year 2014 was considered a Transition Period prior to implementation of the final mine closure plan. Activities during this period were limited to equipment decommissioning, care and maintenance of the areas that had undergone prior progressive rehabilitation and preparation of the area for implementation of the FMRDP.  

An Active Closure Phase followed in Year 2015 and continued through mid of Year 2018. The program was designed to focus on structural improvements for drainage, erosion control and slope stability as well as soil conditioning and preparation and planting of cash crops and diverse forest species. To date, 185 hectares, representing 98% of the total disturbed area, have been rehabilitated. This is equivalent to 98.96% Completion Rating by the end of 2022.TVIRD has also planted close to 600,000 trees, including contributions to the National Greening Program.  

A Passive Closure Phase was scheduled for the remaining half of Year 2018 and continue through Year 2023. The activities were designed to focus on care and maintenance of the rehabilitation programs completed during progressive rehabilitation during the operations phase and those activities completed during the Active Closure Phase.

In a rapid biodiversity assessment conducted by the DENR-R9, an increase in forest land cover was observed from 69.43% in CY 2015 to 79.33% in CY 2019 and to 82.62% in CY 2021. There were 26 new flora and 9 new fauna species found at the rehabilitated areas. This may be attributed to the rehabilitation program that TVIRD is undertaking.

Both Third Party and internal environmental monitoring programs were planned to continue throughout the mine closure period. The internal monitoring program involves regular data collection for meteorology, water quality, stream hydrology, and instrumentation data collection for the Tailings Storage Facility.  Third Party monitoring programs completed during the Active Closure Phase include flora and fauna monitoring, air quality monitoring, and aquatic habitat monitoring.

The Greater Canatuan Tenement Area (GCTA) surrounding the Canatuan mine comprises an extensive 352 square kilometer (136 square mile) on which TVIRD has a package of tenement applications. The company believes that similar Canatuan-like deposits exist within the GCTA and that there is a potential for discovering extension developments.