BHP Group PLC (BHP) has approved a US$44mln investment to restart operations at the Samarco Mineração iron ore project in Brazil, four years after the tailings dam disaster that killed at least 17 people.
Samarco, in the Germano complex in Minas Gerais, is jointly owned by BHP and by Vale, which last October reached a final compensation deal with Brazilian prosecutors.
No financial details were given at the time, though both companies have spent more than $1bn on the clean-up and relief operation since the dam broker on 5 November 2015, while a class action lawsuit filed in a UK court is seeking US$5bn in damages.
BHP said on Friday that the new funding is for work related to the restart of one concentrator at Samarco, building a filtration plant over the next 12 months and getting ready to restart operations.
A new operating licence was given by the local state council for environmental policy last week, with production able to resume once the filtration system is complete and Samarco has met all necessary safety requirements.
BHP shares were up 1% to 1,644p on Friday morning.