Official urges nationals to be innovative

THE challenge facing the mining and petroleum industry is for Papua New Guineans to be innovative, says Chamber of Mines and Petroleum president Gerea Aopi.
Aopi spoke on the industry’s use of technology in its operations during the 2020 PNG Security Congress yesterday in Port Moresby.
“PNG is at the forefront of using digital technologies within the mining and petroleum sector,” he said.
“With the change in technology, it is paramount that our people are fully trained on such changes.
“As the industry continues to grow, many of our local employees working in the resources projects will be exposed to this new technologies but the challenge is also to be innovative.
“You know the industry well, you know the environment and these are the challenges Papua New Guineans need to step up and contribute their knowledge to the industry. Some of our projects operated in very complex environments and we need to look at systems of technology which we are required to adopt and implement.”
Aopi said mining and petroleum projects were embracing the changes and the availability of innovative technological advancement to improve production efficiency and capability.
“It also ensures a safe working environment,” he said.
“The use of remote control bulldozers in several mines around the country, and the use of mining equipment in underground mines have had a significant positive impact on operations.
“This is particularly in removing humans from hazardous environments. Resources projects have partnered with leading developers of technology to research, develop and sometimes customise different technologies to suit the operating environment of the PNG.”