Miner starts project awareness

 WITH the Solawara 1 project scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2018, Nautilus Minerals has kick-started awareness exercises in maritime communities in East New Britain.

Nautilus is the first company to explore ocean floor for massive sulphide deposits.

It was granted the first mining lease for such deposits at the Solwara 1 prospect off the west coast of Namatanai in New Ireland.  

An environmental permit was issued for Nautilus to start production in 2018 through to 2021. Last Friday a team comprising of officers from Nautilus Minerals, Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) and provincial technical team paid a courtesy visit to respective local level government managers and LLG presidents at Duke of York Island in Kokopo and Watom Island in Rabaul district to inform them of vigorous awareness activities set to commence in April and May.

The aim of the visit was to inform communities on the progress of the project and deployment of productions tools into the country. The visit by the team was also to identify community impact projects that the company could possibly provide assistance especially in improving water sanitation projects in schools. 

Team leader of the provincial technical team and deputy administrator, Levi Mano commended the visit by the Nautilus and MRA team saying, it was important to put in place interventions and make communities more aware of the project and for the company to fulfil its community obligations.