Barrick aware of State move on Porgera

BARRICK Niugini Limited (BNL) says it is aware of the action taken by the Government to grant a special mining lease at Porgera to Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited.
It said in a statement: “The Register of Mining Tenements records that the Head of State purportedly granted Special Mining Lease (SML) No. 11 (SML 11) to Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited on Aug 25, 2020 for a period of 20 years. SML 11 purports to cover 2,135 hectares of land at Porgera.
“BNL considers that any such grant of SML 11 to Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited is unlawful and invalid.
“BNL will take steps to challenge the purported grant of SML 11.”
The miner said the Government failed to consult the Porgera landowners prior to granting the special mining lease “whether through a development forum or other consultative steps”. “Nor was a warden’s hearing conducted.
“We are unaware of any representative of Kumul Minerals visiting Porgera to meet with landowners and community stakeholders to discuss the special mining lease.”
“In purportedly granting an SML in this non-transparent and rushed manner, the Marape Government sets a precedent of the State disenfranchising landowners.”