Prime Minister James Marape has confirmed changes are coming to the country’s regulatory and fiscal regimes for the mining and petroleum industries, but also assured businessmen that Papua New Guinea would honor all its commitments under the law and the industry would be consulted closely for any changes. Speaking in a webinar organized by the PNG Cham...

Prime Minister James Marape said the government could look at a hybrid tax regime for mining and oil and gas after members of the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum pointed out the flaws of a production sharing agreement (PSA) system. John Chambers, the general manager of Santos in PNG, warned that PSA-style regimes had been detrimental to...

The national and provincial governments, as well as the landowners, are all responsible for the success of the "new Porgera" mine, according to Barrick Niugini Ltd (BNL). Before the mine reopened at the end of the year, BNL president and CEO Mark Bristow said unlawful mining and lawlessness in the region needed to be handled. He reminded the inhabitant...

According to Mark Bristow, president and chief executive officer of Barrick Niugini Ltd (BNL), the cost of restarting the Porgera mine is roughly US$300 million (K1.052 billion). Bristow indicated that just caring for the mine cost BNL US$120 million (K421 million) and that restarting mining operations at Porgera would cost another US$180 million (K625 mi...

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, MP, has assured Porgera Mine landowners in Enga that they will not be left behind in extraction and development of their resources. He gave this assurance when formally handing over the Framework Agreement for reopening of the mine to landowners and the Enga Provincial Government on Friday (June 4th 2021). PM Marape...

Prime Minister Hon.James Marape today visited Porgera accompanied by State Ministers and Government delegates to announce the new Porgera Framework Agreement. The agreement was successfully negotiated with Barrick Niugini Ltd (BNL) in April this year. PM Marape, when handing over the agreement to resume mining operations at Porgera to landowners and...

Photo Credit: Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture   Landowners of Morobe's US$5.4 billion (K18.48 billion) Wafi-Golpu gold and copper project are urging the government to proceed with the project. The landowners of the special mining license 10, who were represented by their presidents from Hengambu, Yanta, and Babuaf, stated the project had been delayed fo...

Aerial view of the Porgera gold mine. (Image courtesy of Zijin Mining.) The Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, MP will formally handover the Framework Agreement for the reopening of the Porgera Mine in Enga Province to the affected landowners. PM Marape announced this today following reports that the affected landowners in the province have apparent...

Thursday 27th May 2021, marked a significant phase for the operations of Morobe Alluvial Mining Limited with the hosting of the Warden Hearing of the Mining Lease for the Maus Markham Project (ML 167). Morobe Alluvial Mining Limited (MAML) was established on the 14th May 2020, and came into full operation with the appointment of Chief Executive Officer...

The Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) will provide a division that will concentrate on what happens when a mine closes. One of the problems found in the industry, according to managing director Jerry Garry, is mine closure. “We are also looking to make sure that there is proper planning or sustainability beyond a mine closure,” he said. “When we clo...

St Barbara Limited is profoundly saddened to report that a local Papua New Guinean employee was killed at its Simberi Operations in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. The event has been the subject of a thorough investigation. The Papua New Guinea Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) has been notified. Mining activities have been briefly halted, with...

Mayur Resources Ltd is nearing completion on the country's first iron and industrial sands project in Orokolo Bay, Gulf, with the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) reviewing its mining lease proposal. Mayur Resource Ltd managing director Paul Mulder said the MRA had already received the company's K60 million project and evaluation proposal, which was s...

President Ishmael Toroama of Bougainville has said that any talks on the infamous Panguna mine will be placed on hold until the government is satisfied that all parties concerned are happy and determined to speak about reopening the mine. When unveiling the Autonomous Bougainville Government's Independence-ready mission to the citizens of Roreinang in ...

According to Mining Minister Johnson Tuke, the Mining (Amendment) Bill 2020, which was passed by Parliament last year, led to the contract agreement recently signed by the Government and Barrick Niugini Ltd to reopen the Porgera gold mine. The Mining (Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed by Parliament, allowing the government to invest in the production of ...

The reopening of Porgera has been welcomed by the Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), as the mine provides jobs in shipping, processing, distribution, and movement of products from Lae up the Highlands. President of the LCCI, John Byrne, said that while resource projects were important for the economy, it was also encouraging to see the govern...

Governor Ginson Saonu of Morobe wants the Wafi-Golpu project to benefit from the same benefit-sharing agreement as the current Porgera mine. He said the Porgera deal, which gave PNG stakeholders 51 per cent ownership, was good news for the Wafi-Golpu talks. “I am optimistic we will have a much more superior arrangement coming out of Wafi-Golpu,” he ...