The Sepon Gold and Copper Project of the Minerals and Metals Group Lane Xang Minerals Limited (MMG LXML) celebrated production milestones of gold and copper this month. Since the start of the project in 2003, one million ounces of gold and 300,000 tonnes of copper cathode have been produced, said a press release of the Lane Xang Minerals Limited (LXML).
On March 23rd 2010, the celebration was marked at the Sepon site by a function to acknowledge and thank all MMG LXML Sepon staff and subcontractors for their effort and hard work in pursuit of these goals.
The celebration also provided an opportunity to thank the Lao government from all levels, as well as the local community of Vilabouly district for their good cooperation with the project and ongoing support for the company which has continued from exploration to operation. People attending the function heard about the origins of the project. The project truly started when the first two Lao miners, Mr Saman Aneka, MMG LXML Sepon Director and Mr Osoth Insixiengmay, both of whom are still working with the company, started exploration work at Sepon on the 20th March 1989 with funding from a small resource company. On the 15th of June 1993 the Minerals and Exploration Production Agreement was signed between CRA Ltd and the Lao government and Lane Xang Minerals Limited was established. It has taken many years for the project to reach this point, reflecting the difficult and complex nature of exploration and project development. Mr. Dominic Heaton, Sepon Operation General Manager, said at the celebration although great achievements have been made, the project still needed to focus on safety as priority in order to ensure the project is a safe workplace for all staff. The Sepon Project is one of the largest mining companies in the Lao PDR and has not only created benefits for the company but has also generated a large amount of revenue for the country as well as other forms of direct and indirect benefits./.