Leighton Asia News, April 2005 - Leighton Holdings

Rapu Rapuon scheduleLeighton is on schedule on its projects at the Rapu Rapu polymetallicmine in the Philippines.The project is located on an island48 kilometres off the coast of Luzon.When fully operational, the mine willoutput gold, silver, zinc and copper overa six-year period.Last July, Leighton was awardedtwo contracts worth a total of US$77million for infrastructure constructionand mining technical services atthe mine.Leighton has previous experience inmining in the Philippines, havingstarted in 1996 with the constructionof the infrastructure at the Sibutadgold mine in Mindanao, and thenstaying on-site to undertake themining operations. Since then it hascompleted many civil engineering,building and marine engineeringprojects throughout the country.Under its latest contract, Leighton isdesigning and constructing the goldand base metals processing plants atRapu Rapu, the mine’s concentratestorage and loading facilities,reclamation for the facility, a load-outjetty and conveyor, staffaccommodation, offices and themine’s haul and access roads.Leighton is also constructing the tailingsstorage facility and is undertakingthe mine pre-strip before starting toexcavate the mineral deposits.The pre-strip started early in Februaryand the rate of production currentlybeing achieved is ahead of both theclient’s published schedule andLeighton’s contracted requirements.Progress on the infrastructure hasalso been fast:> all of the mine site road constructionhas been completed, and the slopeprotection measures are now nearingcompletion;> construction of the gold process plantis on program to be completed at thebeginning of May;> the construction of the base metalprocess plant is underway and plannedfor completion in August;SouthChinaSeaManilaPalawanLuzonMindoroPanayNegrosSulu SeaPhilippinesSeaRapuRapuMindanao> engineering and procurement servicesin support of the construction are onprogram and nearing completion;The environmental measures for all ofthe watercourses are in place and thesettlement dams for the environmentalarea downstream of the main tailingsdam and waste dump are nearingcompletion. Construction of the uppertailings dam has now started.