COVID-19 Disrupts Philippines Miners, an Industrial Info Market Brief

The Philippine's mining industry has encountered various disruption in its mining operations due to the government lockdown and transportation restrictions, causing low productivity and delays in the sector as it enters April 2020. B2Gold recently restarted mining activity at its Masbate Gold project, which was forced to suspend mining operations due to low fuel supply for its mining fleet, as the island's supply chains were sustained this week.

The provincial government of Surigao del Norte, a major hub in nickel ore mining, sent suspension orders to several nickel direct shipping ore operation as the province attempts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the southern regions of the Philippines. Copper-gold miner Newminco Pacific Mining Corporation plans to delay its grassroot project, the Maloma Copper-Gold Mine, as local and national government offices needed for the project to progress are currently shut down due to the government lockdown.