Circular No. 02/2013/TT-BTNMT stipulates the preparation of current status maps, cross-section drawings of the permitted mineral extraction area; statistics and inventory of mineral reserves.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on the preparation of current status maps and cross-section drawings of areas permitted to extract minerals.

Statistics and inventory of mineral reserves.

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Pursuant to the Minerals Law No. 60/2010/QH12 dated November 17, 2010;

Pursuant to Decree No. 15/2012/NĐ-CP dated March 9, 2012 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Minerals;

Based on Decrees: No. 25/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 4, 2008, No. 19/2010/NĐ-CP dated March 5, 2010, and No. 89/2010/NĐ-CP dated August 6, 2010 of the Government amending and supplementing Decree No. 25/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 4, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

At the proposal of the Director General of the Vietnam Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Department, and the Head of the Legal Department;

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issues this Circular detailing regulations on the preparation of current status maps and cross-section drawings of areas permitted to extract minerals; statistics and inventory of mineral reserves.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

1. This Circular provides detailed regulations on the preparation of current status maps and cross-section drawings of areas permitted to extract minerals; statistics and inventory of mineral reserves as stipulated in Article 63 of the Minerals Law No. 60/2010/QH12.

2. This Circular applies to state management agencies for minerals; organizations and individuals extracting minerals pursuant to permits issued by competent state management authorities.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

1. Permitted exploitable reserves are geological mineral reserves that have been surveyed, evaluated, or explored and approved or recognized by competent state authorities, located within the area specified in the Mining Permit.

2. Submerged mineral area is an area containing minerals within the mining area where it is not possible to drain dry or use drainage methods during the extraction process as defined in the investment project for mineral extraction or mine design.

3. Main survey points are geodetic survey points established during exploration and basic construction of mines and remain stable throughout the mining period.

4. Auxiliary survey points are supplementary geodetic survey points interspersed between main survey points, not intended for long-term retention, used for measuring and depicting detailed topographical features of mineral bodies to serve the preparation of current status maps and cross-section drawings.

5. Statistics of mineral reserves is the determination of actual annual extracted mineral reserves and the total extracted mineral reserves from the time of permission to extract until the date of statistics.

6. Inventory of mineral reserves is the determination of remaining permitted exploitable geological reserves at the time of inventory.

Article 3. Requirements for preparing current status maps and cross-section drawings

1. Current status maps and cross-section drawings of the mining area are the basis for annual statistics of extracted mineral reserves, inventory of remaining mineral reserves, and must meet the following requirements:

a) Current status maps are prepared based on topographic maps with the VN-2000 coordinate system, central meridian, and appropriate projection corresponding to the mining area map specified in the Mining Permit. The scale of the current status map must ensure the full representation of all relevant contents related to currently mined mineral bodies and must not be smaller than the scale of the corresponding drawing in the approved investment project for mineral extraction or mine design;

b) Cross-section drawings must be established at the same scale or larger than the current status map and must reflect information about the morphology, position, and geological structure of currently mined mineral bodies at the time of establishment;

c) Current status maps and cross-section drawings of the mining area must be prepared and presented in paper form and may also be created and displayed using software applications in 2D or 3D formats but must accurately reflect actual documentation and data. Symbols, forms, and contents of elements on current status maps and cross-section drawings must be consistent with drawings in the mineral exploration report, investment project for mineral extraction, mine design, and relevant laws.

2. Organizations and individuals permitted to extract minerals may directly prepare current status maps and cross-section drawings or contract with units having the necessary functions and specialized expertise to do so.

Article 4. Time for preparing the current status map, cross-section drawing of the current status; statistics and inventory of mineral reserves

1. The current status map, cross-section drawing of the current status of the area permitted to extract minerals must be prepared immediately from the start of basic mine construction; during the extraction process and updated with information at least every six months until the end of extraction (mine closure).

2. After updating information for the current status map and cross-section drawing, organizations and individuals permitted to extract minerals shall conduct statistics and inventory of extracted mineral reserves; evaluate actual extracted mineral reserves and quality compared to exploration data or upgraded exploration (if applicable).

3. The report on statistics and inventory of extracted mineral reserves shall be carried out according to Model No. 01 issued together with this Circular and implemented in the final period of the reporting year. The calculation date is December 31 each year, consistent with the periodic reporting period for mineral extraction activities.

Chapter II

CONTENTS OF THE CURRENT STATUS MAP AND CROSS-SECTION DRAWING OF THE AREA PERMITTED TO EXTRACT MINERALS

Article 5. Contents displayed on the current status map of the open-pit mining area

1. Geodetic information: contour lines, geodetic markers (main markers, auxiliary markers, control points), landforms, hydrological system, transportation routes (strip trenches, internal mine transport roads, etc.).

2. Geological information: geological strata (without coloring by age), faults, rock orientation, etc.

3. Mineral information: ore body boundaries and orientation; reserve blocks, exploration works and numbers; mineral information according to pre-extraction exploration stages, upgraded exploration; supplementary sampling locations (if applicable).

4. Mining area information: basic mine construction works, mining pit boundaries over time, bench lines, active bench edges/termination benches, waste disposal areas.

5. Contents displayed on the current status map of the open-pit mining area apply to the entire area of residual mineral extraction.

Article 6. Contents displayed on the current status map of the underground mining area

1. Geodetic information: contour lines, geodetic markers (main markers, auxiliary markers, control points), landforms, hydrological system.

2. Geological information: geological strata (without coloring by age), faults, rock orientation, etc.

3. Mineral information: ore body boundaries and orientation; reserve blocks, exploration works and numbers; mineral information according to pre-extraction exploration stages, upgraded exploration; supplementary sampling locations (if applicable).

4. Mining area information: basic mine construction works; positions and parameters of tunnels/shafts, transport tunnels/shafts, ventilation tunnels/shafts, market tunnels and other auxiliary works serving mining operations.

For tunnels/shafts constructed and operated during the preparation of the current status map and cross-sections, additional plan views and cross-sectional drawings of these tunnels/shafts must be supplemented. Plan views and cross-sections must include all information about the name, shaft mouth elevation, opposite tunnel/shaft points, for inclined tunnels/shafts, incline angle values, and specific symbols for each type of tunnel/shaft.

Article 7. Content to be shown on the current status map of the submerged mineral extraction area

1. Geodetic information: level lines, main geodetic markers, auxiliary geodetic markers, contour lines of bottom topography.

2. Information about minerals: mineral thickness contour lines, ore body blocks, exploration works, mined locations, currently mining locations, waste disposal locations (if any).

3. The content to be shown on the current status map of the submerged mineral extraction area applies to both the areas for mineral recovery extraction.

Article 8. Content to be shown on the current status map of the mineral extraction area for other types of minerals

1. The current status map of the mining area for mineral water and natural hot water includes:

a) A topographic map of the permitted area showing the location of extraction wells, monitoring wells (if applicable), pump locations, well protection structures;

b) Drilling structure diagrams for extraction wells, monitoring wells (if any), showing well numbers, coordinates, well depth; wall and pillar water level depth of the currently extracted water layer; static water level height; water level of the lowered sump according to the investment project and actual monitoring frequency as stipulated in the investment project or Environmental Impact Assessment report or the approved Environmental Standard Compliance Registration;

c) Monitoring records on pumping flow rate, water pH, water temperature, air temperature, recovery measurement results during the reporting period;

d) Water quality analysis results according to usage purposes during the reporting period.

2. The current status map of solid mineral extraction areas with a duration of less than 12 months is the final extraction map used to prepare the mine closure dossier.

Article 9. Content to be shown on the cross-section drawing of the current status

1. The current status cross-section of the permitted mineral extraction area is established based on reserve maps, exposure (wall/pillar) ore body maps, reserve calculation cross-sections from the mineral exploration result report used when preparing the mineral extraction investment project, mine design, and supplemented with information at the time of establishing the current status map as stipulated in Articles 5, 6, and 7 of this Circular.

Elements on the current status cross-section drawing must fully reflect information about the ore body and changes in the ore body that the cross-section passes through.

2. In cases where the mineral extraction area (open-pit, underground) at the time of establishing the current status cross-section does not have previous geological survey lines passing through it, at least two additional current status cross-sections must be established.

Current status cross-sections (supplementary) must be consistent with survey lines and pass through the entire currently extracted mineral area and upgraded reserve exploration works (if any).

Chapter III

STATISTICS AND INVENTORY OF MINERAL RESERVES

Article 10. Determination of annual extracted mineral reserves

1. Annual extracted mineral reserves are determined based on the following information and documents:

a) Current status maps and cross-section drawings of the mineral extraction areas prepared in the previous year;

b) Current status maps and cross-section drawings updated according to Article 4 of this Circular or newly established as stipulated in Clause 2 of Article 9 of this Circular;

c) Collection of geological and mineral information; supplementary data and samples collected during the reporting year's extraction process;

d) Actual loss ratio of minerals, actual depletion ratio of minerals; recovery factor of minerals when classified and enriched (if any).

2. The determination of annual extracted mineral reserves is calculated using the reserve calculation method used when preparing the exploration result report.

3. Annual extracted mineral reserves are converted to geological block reserves (minerals in their natural state, not yet extracted) and must be determined according to the following two groups of reserve calculation criteria and parameters:

a) Criteria and parameters for reserve calculation in the exploration result report;

b) Criteria and parameters for reserve calculation based on supplementary exploration results and actual extraction.

Article 11. Mineral Reserves Statistics

The statistics of mineral reserves shall be based on the following information and documents:

1. The total quantity of minerals extracted according to the reserve calculation criteria set forth in the exploration results report up to the time of statistical reporting. This is the statistical data of the extracted reserves for the reporting year.

2. The total quantity of minerals extracted according to the reserve calculation criteria established based on supplementary exploration results and actual mining operations up to the time of statistical reporting. This data is used to calculate the production volume of extracted minerals, the volume of exported minerals; the total volume of minerals consumed in the year; the total volume of minerals actually mined up to the reporting year.

Article 12. Inventory of Mineral Reserves

The inventory of mineral reserves in the permitted mining area shall be based on the following information and documents:

1. The geological mineral reserves permitted for mining recorded in the mining permit.

2. The increase or decrease in mineral reserves according to the upgraded exploration results up to the time of inventory, approved by the competent state agency.

3. The results of determining the extracted mineral reserves during the reporting period as stipulated in Article 10 of this Circular.

4. The statistics and inventory of mineral reserves from the licensing year to the time of actual inventory conducted according to Model No. 02 and Model No. 03 issued together with this Circular.

Chapter IV

PROVISIONS ON THE STORAGE OF CURRENT STATUS MAPS, CROSS-SECTION DRAWINGS AND RELATED INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS

Article 13. Storage of Current Status Maps, Cross-Section Drawings and Related Information and Documents

1. Current status maps, cross-section drawings; reports on statistics and inventory of extracted mineral reserves and related information and documents concerning exploration and mining activities at the mine must be preserved in both paper-based archival documents and electronic archival documents.

2. All documents and information mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article must be kept at the workplace of the organization or individual permitted to extract minerals and at the mining area.

Clause 3. Documents stored in paper form include:

Point a) Current status maps;

Point b) Cross-section drawings;

Point c) Information materials about changes in quality, reserves of minerals, ore body morphology during the period of creating current status maps and cross-sections;

Point d) Statistical and inventory reports of extracted mineral reserves, remaining mineral reserves;

d) Explanation of the periodic report on mineral extraction activities.

4. Electronic storage media on computers and CD-ROMs or portable storage devices (USB, hard disk) containing all the information and documents mentioned in Clause 3 of this Article.

Article 14. Responsibilities for Establishing and Managing Current Status Maps, Cross-Section Drawings or Current Status Reports and Related Information and Documents

1. The legal representative of the organization or individual permitted to extract minerals shall be responsible for organizing the implementation of this Circular and shall bear legal responsibility before the state management agencies with authority regarding the accuracy of the collected and stored information: documents, contents of current status maps and cross-section drawings, reports on statistics and inventory of extracted mineral reserves.

2. The mine manager shall be responsible for reporting and explaining issues including: current status maps, cross-section drawings; statistics and inventory of mineral reserves; production volume of extracted minerals to the competent state agencies as prescribed by law.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 15. Implementation Provisions

This Circular takes effect from April 15, 2013.

Article 16. Implementation Organization

1. The General Department of Geology and Minerals shall be responsible for guiding and inspecting the implementation of the provisions of this Circular.

2. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties regarding the content of this Circular, organizations and individuals extracting minerals, relevant agencies and units, and individuals should promptly reflect these issues to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for consideration and resolution./.