Father and son among miners going to work in Laos

A FATHER and his son are among six Papua New Guinean underground miners who left the country yesterday to work in a mining company in Laos.
The six were recruited by Aluma Manpower Supplies Ltd consulting general manager Thomas Rango, the PNG human resource consultant for the Laos project.
Rango said a second batch of four would leave this month with a final batch to be confirmed later.
All six said on departure that they were happy to work overseas in Laos at the Sepon open-pit gold and copper mine operated by Lane Xang Minerals Ltd.
Gideon Embolome and father Timothy Embolome are from Porgera in Enga. Gideon will take up the position underground operator trainer.
“Gideon used to work as a training supervisor for the Porgera mine underground, now we have got him as the underground operator trainer at Laos as well as he is going to do blasting; blasting is when they blow up rocks with dynamite,” Rango said.
“Timothy Embolome is the old gun, the oldest among, he is 54, he has worked at Porgera and Tolukuma (gold) mine, together for almost 30 years.
“He is very experience doing jumbo drilling and underground mine work.
“Timothy will be there for a short while training the locals and get these guys to gear up and come back.”
The others include Timothy Kingipa, who will be a national supervisor, a Porgera local.
Kingipa has 20 years of supervisory experience.
His recent job was an underground superintendent for the K92 mine in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands.
Tony Allen from Western Highlands is a specialist in the jumbo drilling machines, it is the underground machine that drills the rocks.
Jacob Tero from Chimbu is also a specialist in blasting.
Alpha Yakopus from Hela will also be a national supervisor. Yakopus has 20 years experience, and was formerly the acting general foreman at Porgera mine.
“These guys will train the Laos locals as well, it is a good news for the country,” Rango said.
“In PNG, the Tolukuma and Porgera mines are the oldest underground mines, they started the Porgera underground first and then later with Tolukuma, so they worked here and got more than 10 years’ experience.
“This was what the client required.”
“Rango said the mine in Laos had been operating for the last 20 years and was now venturing into underground mining.