SUSTAINABILITY & CSR
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The automation of underground equipment also allows OceanaGold to operate 24 / 7 . “ We don ’ t have to shut down for shift changes or lunch breaks ,” adds Wilkes . “ We ’ re on that journey now and partnering with Sandvik to continue that process . They ’ re helping us embrace the technology so we can be operating at the leading edge of that in the future . There ’ s a lot of cheaper mining equipment now being produced in countries like India and China , but that doesn ’ t have the technical capability we ’ re looking for . Finding the right innovation path with the best partners like Sandvik , MST Global and Outotech ( which is developing new processing technology ) is crucial because we ’ ve got mines to build and they ’ ve got the technology to help us achieve this .”
Hiring people with the skills to mine differently by harnessing the best solutions modern technology can offer is a big part of the strategy for Wilkes and his team . “ We ’ re not looking for miners per se , we ’ re looking for technicians of the future ,” he says . “ We ’ ve already had great experiences with this approach at Didipio where we ’ re
“ MINING IS A TRANSITION INDUSTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND KICKSTARTS THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY IN WAYS THAT ALL AREAS CAN BENEFIT FROM . WE ’ RE STICKING TO THAT VISION AND DOING THE JOB PROPERLY FOR THE LONG RUN ”
— Mick Wilkes , President & CEO , OceanaGold
FEBRUARY 2020