Strategic partnership helps PJV overcome challenges: Temu

Strategic partnership is an important factor that has enabled Porgera Joint Venture to overcome its challenges and deliver benefits over the last three decades, according to a statement from Barrick (Niugini) Ltd (BNL).
This was highlighted at the recent 15th PNG Mining and Petroleum
Investment Conference held in Sydney by executive-director Dr Ila Temu.
Challenges included flooding issues in the open pit from high rainfall, the west wall failure leading to the Yarik sinkholes in 2016 and the significant consequences to operations.
Additionally, the Lukulama landslip in March 2016 severed the only transport link for supplies and employees to reach the mine site.
Others highlighted included issues on the Highlands Highway, illegal mining, Hides transmission line (HTL) and the February earthquake.
The earthquake caused significant damage to Porgera JV’s power-generation plant in Hides, resulting in a loss of power supply to Porgera site and Porgera Valley community.
“Partnership with our shareholders, various levels of government, operating communities, employees, is an important part of our operation in trying to address some of the challenges we have,” Temu said.
He said despite the many significant challenges, Porgera had also delivered significant benefits.
“Over US$1 billion (K3.4 billion) had been paid in taxes and royalties, facilitated over US$155 million (K522 million) in infrastructure through community development programs and tax credit scheme and over US$304 million (K1 billion) paid to Porgeran businesses.”
On corporate social responsibility, Temu highlighted achievements of the Porgera District Women’s Association as a case study, from taking over the mine’s cleaning contract to contracting their own machinery to the Porgera underground mine operation.
Other community development programmes and projects have resulted in the investment of more than US$20 million (K67 million) to date.
Temu also spoke on resettlement, a partnership exercise with Government to address another of the mines’ challenges.
“We hope in 2019 to finalise a resettlement action plan and start implementation soon after,” he said.
Temu also spoke on the special mining lease (SML) extension project, with the current lease set to expire on August 17, 2019.
BNL submitted an SML extension application to the Mineral Resource Authority on June 29, 2017.
Temu said the BNL was seeking to extend the SML duration for a further 20 years- the maximum period available under current PNG mining law.