Arrested Chinese group may be digging for uranium – PAOCC

MANILA, Philippines — The 11 Chinese nationals who were recently arrested for illegal mining operations in Paracale, Camarines Norte, could be searching for uranium, among other minerals, according to an official of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

“On paper, they are mining for ore. But based on [the] technical assessment of our engineers, it’s highly probable they’re also trying to source out uranium deposits. Paracale has been identified as a possible source of uranium,” PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said in a radio interview on Thursday.

The Chinese nationals, who reportedly carried only tourist visas, were arrested by authorities in a joint operation on Sunday for allegedly operating an illegal mine in Paracale, a coastal town known for small-scale gold mining.

The arrest was also reported by Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga on Wednesday, as she expressed concern that the foreigners were able to obtain permits to operate a mine from local authorities in 2023.

Yulo-Loyzaga said her office would raise the matter with other agencies, including the Department of National Defense.

Unauthorized expansion

Casio said among the Chinese group’s violations, aside from having no legal work papers, was the unauthorized expansion of their mining operations.

“They did not amend their environmental compliance certificate (ECC). It expanded its operations beyond those areas authorized by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) where they could extract and process. Any single alteration from the original ECC must require an amendment to that particular ECC,” he said.

The municipal government, along with the MGB and the Environmental Management Bureau, has launched an investigation into the matter.

Citing preliminary findings, Paracale Mayor Romeo Moreno told the Inquirer on Wednesday that “uranium, a highly regulated mineral, is allegedly being excavated in the site.”

Energy source

“The facility, which is located on private property in a mountainous area of Tawig, will remain under close scrutiny until the investigation is concluded,” Moreno added.

Uranium is a heavy metal that has been used as a source of concentrated energy for more than 60 years, mainly for nuclear reactors.

To become fuel, uranium goes through refining and enrichment before it is used as a source of nuclear energy.

A small pellet of uranium the size of a pencil eraser produces as much energy as a ton of coal, or three barrels of oil, or about two fuel tankers of natural gas, according to a 2020 article posted by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.