Mining companies in Papua New Guinea have been able to keep operating during the COVID-19 crisis. John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director of K92 Mining, says his company actually ‘set records’.
Mining & Energy
Amendments to the Mining Act 1992 have been passed in parliament, with Mining Minister Johnson Tuke explaining it is a step towards ‘taking back’ Papua New Guinea. Meanwhile, industry representatives have expressed some deep concerns.
Prime Minister James Marape has introduced changes to Papua New Guinea’s oil and gas law, claiming it will benefit the country’s ‘national interest’. The changes may well represent a major shift in the way projects are developed in the future.
Papua New Guinea’s National Court has granted Barrick Niugini leave for a review of the decision not to extend the Special Mining Lease for the Porgera gold mine. Related disputes have also arisen, and the Prime Minister has flagged ‘minor amendments’ to PNG’s Mining Act.
Oil Search, Papua New Guinea’s biggest company, has been suspended from trading on PNGX, the country’s stock exchange, amidst claims that it did not follow proper procedure in its recent capital raising – claims the company is refuting.
Papua New Guinea’s government is coming under intense pressure to renegotiate the Special Mining Lease for the Porgera gold mine, which it refused to extend in April. Multiple industry bodies have urged the government to urgently negotiate with the mine’s joint venture operators, Barrick Gold and Zijin Mining, pointing to extreme economic stress.
Ok Tedi Mining has announced strong profits and dividends – important because it accounts for over four per cent of Papua New Guinea’s economy. But the future of the company, which has new shareholders, will depend on finding new reserves beyond the Ok Tedi mine’s projected six-year mine life.
The decision by the Marape-Steven government not to extend the Special Mining Lease on the Porgera gold mine is headed for the courts after the National Court of Justice at Waigani ordered both parties to have discussions to resolve the matter.
Prime Minister James Marape moves to allays concerns among Papua New Guinea’s mining companies following the decision not to renew the special mining lease for the Porgera gold mine. Meanwhile, the mine’s temporary closure is already affecting local business.
The global economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 outbreak has increased the urgency for Papua New Guinea to facilitate mining projects, which are the biggest providers of crucial foreign exchange. Business Advantage PNG speaks exclusively PNG’s Mineral Resources Authority about where the sector is heading.