Sohar: Minerals Development Oman Company (MDO) celebrated today the groundbreaking ceremony for redeveloping the Lasil and Al Baydha copper mines in Block 4 of the Wilayats of Sohar and Liwa.
The event was held under the auspices of Eng. Salim Nasser Al Oufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals.
The redevelopment of the Lasil and Al Baydha mines is the MDO’s first copper mine project; resulted from the intensive exploration programs carried out by MDO in 2022 revealed the potential of commercial reserves of copper ore estimated at approximately 2.78 million tons in Block 4, part of Oman Mining Company geological assets.
The project will encompass a series of phases, including the mobilization and construction of the mines, open-pit mining operations, and then the commencement of processing and concentration operations. The production of copper ore from the Lasil mine is anticipated to begin this year, while production from the Al Baydha mine is expected to commence in 2026.
The project aims to produce approxi
mately 800,000 tons of copper ore per annum. The project’s initial phase is expected to last four years based on the current reserves. However, the company is progressing exploration campaign at the surrounding areas to hopefully secure new reserves and extend the production period.
Eng. Nasser Saif Al Moqbali, CEO of MDO, said, “The redevelopment project of the Lasil and Al Baydha copper mines marks the start of a significant journey for a series of mining projects and a crucial step towards reviving the copper mining industry in the Sultanate of Oman, which will keep up with the global demand externally and boost the local industries internally.”
The project strives to enrich local value addition and optimize value chains in collaboration and partnership with the private sector. MDO has awarded the mining contract to a national contractor, and awarded the processing contract to Mawarid Mining to process the copper ore in their concentrator located in the Wadi Al Jizzi, Sohar. This initiative exemplifies t
he company’s unwavering commitment to fostering the mining sector in Oman through a commendable public-private partnership.
MDO’s CEO added: “Since the transfer of Oman Mining Company to the group, MDO has begun implementing an ambitious turnaround strategy to revive the company and benefit from its previously unexplored geological assets. Within a short period, we managed to overcome many of these challenges with the support of our partners in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and other Government entities.
The redevelopment of the Lasil and Al Baydha copper mines project is a significant accomplishment of the turnaround strategy. This strategy aims to enhance the company’s financial performance, leverage its human resources and technical expertise, and restore the Oman Mining Company’s prestigious position in the copper industry markets’.
Source: Oman News Agency
On the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Journalists, Syrian journalists in all provinces stood a moment of silence to mourn journalists who were martyred in Palestine in the Israeli aggression on Gaza strip.
This event is part of a call by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to hold a moment of silence on the lives of press martyrs in occupied Palestine within their workplaces.
The participates called on international organizations to assume their moral and legal responsibilities by exerting pressure on the occupying entity to stop its aggression, hold it accountable for its crimes, and take immediate action to ensure the safety of civilians and journalists in Gaza and the occupied territories.
They also stressed the need to stop the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists, during their coverage of the occupation’s aggression, which is trying to promote its narrative, mislead public opinion, and cover up its crimes, stressing that the Al-Aqsa flood operation showed the
real ugly image of the criminal entity, and revealed its truth while facing the owners of the land; the resistants.
The stance affirms that the speech is unified in the Syrian and Palestinian arenas, and that the terrorism that targeted media professionals in the two countries is one.
All media institutions in Damascus and other Syrian governorates witnessed similar stances during which participating journalists raised banners calling for an end to the killing of Palestinian journalists.
Syrian Arab News Agency Director-General, Eyad Wannous, said during the stand organized by the agency that the Israeli occupation’s killing of journalists in Palestine aims to kill guardians of truth, and to keep only the narrative of lies, and media misinformation, in continuation of its crimes that represent a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and journalists guaranteed by international conventions
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency