A Deep Sea Tailing Placement (DSTP) awareness program conducted by Ramu NiCo in collaboration with the Madang Provincial Government and Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) was successfully carried out in various schools in Bogia District, Madang Province from 28 September to 02 October, 2026. Ramu NiCo and its stakeholders presented computers, laptops, printers and school stationaries to Holy Spirit Catholic secondary school, Malala Catholic Secondary school, Fr, Frank Zuccolo Memorial high school, Boroi Seventh Day Adventist school and St Joseph Anigi Primary school where the awareness were conducted. Students in those schools who participated in a quiz session after the awareness were also rewarded with gifts.
The awareness, led by the Ramu NiCo HSE Team, focused on telling students about the company’s tailing management system using a 150 meters long pipeline situated in the Basamuk Bay in Raicoast district of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.
Students and teachers were told on the processes Ramu NiCo use to neutralize and treat the tailing to ensure it is safely disposed of in the deep sea.
Samson Angula the environment officer from Kurumbukari mine site and HSE Superintendent at Basamuk refinery Rodney Kongri explained to all visited schools that he Ramu Nickel and Cobalt Project Operations involve a comprehensive approach to mining, beneficiation, and refining nickel and cobalt. The process begins with open-pit mining at the Kurumbukari site, followed by beneficiation at Basamuk, and culminates in hydrometallurgical refining. The operation utilizes high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) technology to produce mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide precipitate (MHP), with a design capacity of approximately 32,000 tonnes of contained nickel and 3,000 tonnes of cobalt annually. The project integrates various technologies and processes, including high-pressure acid leaching, deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP), and a strategic mix of hydraulic shovels and articulated trucks for efficient mining and processing. The project is a significant contributor to PNG’s mineral exports and local economy and employment, with ongoing exploration and enhancements in production processes to optimize technology and manage environmental impacts.
Many students and teachers who were previously unaware of the Ramu NiCo mining and refining of nickel and cobalt processes said they were enlightened and happy to learn how the mine manages and dispose its tailing.
Schools in Bogia District appreciated the awareness and commended the Ramu NiCo team for the informative sessions. Malala Catholic Secondary school Mrs Regina Sambri said the information shared by the DSTP team will be valuable for students’ studies and will help them disseminate accurate information to their communities.
“Most of our schools are located in the marine areas of the district, so it is very important for our students to have this knowledge,” Mrs Sambri said.
“They can now pass this information to the villages and to the elders, so they are aware of how the DSTP process used by the only mine operating in our province,” she said.
The schools said the awareness will go a long way in helping students understand the mine’s environmental management and in addressing misconceptions about deep sea tailing placement in the communities.
