Mining there was suspended in August due to low water levels in the Fly River.

The approval for the restart was granted by the Ok Tedi Mining Limited board of directors and the process of gaining Mineral Resource Authority has begun. Discussions with the mining inspectorate have started.

Not all employees will be required back at work immediately as the mine will be at less than full production until the installation and commissioning of the replacement semi-autonomous grinding mill number two's shell is completed. That is expected to be by about mid-March.

Employees will be informed of their roster panel and restart date and travel bookings by February 22.

Payments to employees will continue on stand down terms and conditions until February 20.

For those employees starting work from March 1, fresh employment terms and conditions, will be effective from that date.

Employees not recalled to work by March 1 will continue to receive the stand down allowance until they restart work.

OTML will be operating a reduced fleet of aircraft and will fly to the designated hubs of Port Moresby, Mt Hagen, Goroka, Lae, Rabaul and Mandang.

Most employees will be accommodated on site in the mine's camps and have their own permanent room.

For Preferred Area employees, whose point of hire has become Tabubil, housing in Tabubil will be offered on a rental no greater than the housing allowance.

This will give employees on short cycle rosters the benefit of rostered days off without undue loss to travel.

Twin Otters will continue to service local airstrips for the first several roster cycles to let those employees arrange to move to rental housing in Tabubil or make their own arrangements.

For those employees who were previously residential in Tabubil and now are rostered as fly-in, fly-out, time off work will be allowed shortly after they return to work to allow them to pack up any household items and arrange their shipment.

OTML managing director and CEO Peter Graham said this year would be a challenging one as the company strove to recover from the effects and costs of a prolonged operational suspension.

He said weather remained a risk.