Oceana Gold Didipio Mine
The Didipio Mine employs Laddertube escapeways to provide protection against significant flowing water in underground rises.
The Situation
The Didipio mine site was acquired in 2006 under an agreement with the Philippine government. Open pit operations commenced in 2013 and in 2015 the mine transitioned to underground operation. Production from underground mining started in early 2017.
At full operation, the Didipio mine directly employs over 1,500 workers, of which 97% are Philippine nationals and 59% are from local communities. It provides thousands of additional livelihood opportunities and indirect jobs through partnerships with cooperatives and social development organisations.
Underground conditions on site are generally quite wet, with the majority of the rises having substantial water flowing inside the raise. This means that Didipio needs escapeway solutions that protect climbers from the water.
The Solution
We have been installing Laddertube escapeways at Didipio since very early on in the mine's imderground operations, in 2017.
OceanaGold's engineers chose Laddertube for their escapeways due to the fully-enclosed and corrosion-resistant design that helps to protect the climber from the wet conditions.
The Outcome
Over 380 meters of Laddertube has been installed since 2017. We have partnered with the OceanaGold team to train installers on site to ease installation, lowering costs and simplifying the installation process.
The Didipio site is a prime example of the benefits of Laddertube's fully enclosed escapeway system that protects climbers from hazards.
