Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) has christened and named its new crusher in a dedication ceremony held on Thursday 10 December 2020.
The crusher was named the “Nurumi Crusher” following a competition to find a suitable name for the new facility.
“Nurumi” means “Our” in the local Min language of the Star Mountains and
the new name fittingly embodies the efforts, heart and ingenuity of everyone involved in the construction and operations of the crusher.
The dedication ceremony attended by OTML and contractor employees marked the successful completion and handover of the PGK 800 million project from the Major Project team to the Processing Business Unit
OTML Managing Director and CEO, Musje Werror said,
“It is the dawn of a new era and I am proud of the project team and support departments for delivering the project safely and on budget despite the challenges of dry weather and a pandemic.”
He added that completion of the project is a significant milestone for the Company as it allows access to additional high-grade ore that will see a step change increase in production in 2023.
This will underpin the Company’s plan to generate more than PGK40 billion of revenue between now and the end of mine life and generate significant benefits to our communities and our nation.
Mr Werror acknowledged the OTML Board and former Managing Director and CEO, Peter Graham for their approval and support of the project and for having faith in the OTML team led by General Manager Major Projects Mark Thompson to successfully deliver a project of this scale.
Major Projects Manager, Brendan Gowdie said, “We are grateful for the support the team has received from the OTML Board and Executive and our hope for the future is that CRP will be proudly remembered for the remarkable efforts of the people who contributed to the project.”
The Nurumi Crusher’s construction phase began in 2018 and employed ore than 900 men and women at its peak with a PNG workforce of more than 85%. While it was necessary to source some specialist skills externally the project relied heavily on labour sourced locally from the Mine Preferred Area.
Technical and on the job training was provided to upskill the project team and allow progression to more senior roles. Examples of this include a training and certification program that saw the progression of people from entry level roles such as a spotter to a certified scaffolder.
Another prominent example was the progression of Raymond Singamis a 34-year-old local from Baktamin village, from his initial role as senior safety officer to become the Manager responsible for Operational Health & Safety and delivering a project without a lost time injury.
