Talk to landowners before selling PNG

Little Green Palai

In just a few days in a faraway land in Sydney, Australia, from December 1-3, Papua New Guinea’s mining department will be hosting its investment conference.

However, in two rural villages in Bogia and Karkar Island in Madang province they are not pleased that rural lands are being talked about without local people’s involvement.

Karkar Islanders are at the forefront of rejecting seabed mining in the Bismarck Sea and despite their numerous calls to the government to halt seabed mining, Nautilus Minerals has been able to twist the government of Papua New Guinea so that it can dig on the seafloor of New Ireland province.

Seabed mining is not just a Papua New Guinean concern but a regional issue. Nautilus Minerals has produced maps showing tenements across the Pacific and at what stages of development they are at. In the Bismarck Sea Solwara 1 has been given the green light to go ahead with this experiment.

Karkar villagers through their young people and the Lutheran church, which they are members of, are still saying the seafloor should not be touched at all for any reason.

On another front coal mining will be a new thing for Papua New Guinea.

In the villages along the Adelbert Range in Bogia, some rogue scientists have entered claiming they were investigating prospects for coal mining. This has stirred the villagers to start sending messages to their government saying, there will be no such activity on their land.

A placard they held up recently (photo above) said there will be no mining. The land is for food gardens.

Recently the Mineral Resource Authority made an announcement in Kokopo it will be developing a coal mining policy for Papua New Guinea.

Also around the same time an Australian firm Mayur Resources has announced it will do coal explorations in the Gulf Province for coal and iron-sands.

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Industrial mining, investment and impact in Morobe

One group lives with the impacts of mining forever, the other takes the money, avoids responsibility and moves on…

Charles Roche | MPI 

Industrial, large-scale mining has a massive impact on people and place. The more connected you are to country for food, shelter, culture, community and opportunity, the more vulnerable you are to adverse impacts.  This fact was demonstrated to me once again, very powerfully, in recent weeks.  Following an engaging, inspiring and challenging trip up the lower Watut in late September, I attended the AGM for Newcrest on the 31st October.  The difference between the stakeholders; the community on one side and the managers and directors on the other, could not have been more stark. One group lives with the impacts of mining forever, the other takes the money, avoids responsibility and moves on to another project, board or company. It’s striking to move between the groups, seeing the different realities from either side of the divide.

On first impressions, life on the Watut seems simple. It’s slow and connected to the environment, the seasons, and to cultures and practices from millennia past. In that sense, it’s complicated, with elaborate connections between country and community – past, present and future. Connections that industrial mining, multinational big business and far-away investors seem unable to comprehend, let alone respect and value.  Although, if you accepted literally the mantra of corporate social responsibility, then you might believe big business care, or even understand the issues, and are rolling out solutions in the same way they dig ore.  Unfortunately, the drama of industrial mining is more a tragedy than a fairytale, with different languages spoken, one focused on profit, the other on people and place.  Never getting anywhere, like incompatible computer languages – imagine OSX and Windows trying to talk about solutions.

A week along the Watut left me tired. Nightly meetings and presentations, trying to understand the concerns of communities expressed in pidgin, then getting my English answers translated.  I’m not romanticising it, but the unfamiliar diet of taro and boiled green bananas, combined with dirt floors, pit toilets and river baths left me refreshed and inspired. Asked and challenged to help communities respond to mining, to identify and pursue their dreams and plans, to control their own destiny. This is why MPI exists, why we do what we do. The imbalance of power, the inequity of benefits and the injustice of outcomes must be challenged and overcome.

Alternatively, two hours in the Newcrest AGM made me angry, despairing at the lack humanity in industrial mining and in need of a long hot shower. A board and directors saying the right words, the words they say without conviction or understanding, the same words as years before, as at other AGM’s, different names, different faces but the same words. A roomful of retail shareholders, people who have lost up to 75% of the value of their investment. Small investors with few rights and, for the most, little interest in the impacts of the business they invested in.  But the majority of Newcrest is owned by large institutional investors  – were they there? do they care? The tragedy of industrial mining comes from institutions without conscience, mining companies and investors who care little about life along the Watut, all promoted by an unquestioning investment media that can only focus on the dollars.

We are making progress, however, and together with the communities along the Watut have the opportunity to effect change. MPI’s decision to pre-empt a new mine, rather than just focus on what has gone before, has and will continue to provide opportunities to influence the way mining is, or not done in Papua New Guinea.

BHP’s legacy of environmental ruin remains for South Fly

Radio New Zealand

Landowners in the South Fly region of Papua New Guinea’s Western province are unsatisfied with the compensation given for environmental devastation caused by the Ok Tedi mine.

It’s the latest call for a more comprehensive compensation package from the operators of the mine and the PNG state for extensive and long-lasting damage to major river systems, including the Ok Tedi and Fly, from the discharge of mine tailings over decades.

A landowner representative from South Fly, Pastor Steven Bagari says that since taking over the mine last year, the government has been unresponsive to the call.

He says local people are paid up to 32 US dollars per person annually in compensation.

“To us in South Fly and people of Western Province that are affected by the mine, this is not money, it has no value… to the damage it has done to our environment, our livelihood, our culture, our heritage and our identity as the people from Western Province and mine-affected villages.”

$113m to be released to Nautilus next month on completion of State agreement

Leani Kolver | Mining Weekly

Prospective seafloor miner Nautilus Minerals on Friday announced that $113-million that had been placed into escrow in May, would be released to the company on December 11, on the completion of the sale of 15% of its Solwara 1 project, offshore Papua New Guinea, to Eda Kopa (Solwara), which had been nominated by the State of Papua New Guinea to take up this interest.

Nautilus had, on November 6, entered into an agreement with Marine Assets Corporation (MAC) for the charter of a vessel to be deployed for use at the Solwara 1 project.

Under the terms of MAC’s agreement with Nautilus, it undertook to sign a contract with Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding for the design and construction of the vessel and to pay the first instalment of the purchase price by no later than November 28, 2014.

As this had occurred according to plan, Nautilus could now complete the sale to Eda Kopa.

“We are excited that the shipbuilding contact has been signed for the construction of the vessel and the first instalment paid, which now allows for the release of the State nominee’s funds from escrow and the formation of the Solwara 1 joint venture,” Nautilus CEO Mike Johnston commented.

 

No need for Ok Tedi tailings dam, Pundari says

Sadly a deformed infant and mother in the Middle Fly area of Western province. BHP Billiton owned and operated the Ok Tedi mine which directly discharged toxic mine waste into the Fly River system

The National aka The Loggers Times

ENVIRONMENT and Conservation Minister John Pundari says there is no need to build a tailings dam along the Fly River because damage to the environment had already been done.

He said in Parliament during debate on the Mining (Ok Tedi 11th Supplementary Agreement) Bill:

“We might have to reconsider a tailings dam going forward. I do not undermine the bill that is before us. I am in support of it.

“The environment damage is not a new thing (along the Fly River) for so many years, the damage is there.

“I am in total support of a tailings dam, but I just want to see a better way, going forward.

“Given the fact that the damage is there, I’m just thinking that if BHP had earlier built a tailings dam, the impact of the damage that is there would probably be different now.

“Give that the damage is done, would a tailings dam create a miracle for us?

“How many years would it take, even after a tailings dam is built, for natural occurrences to recover? I’m just posing this thought for us. ?Is there a better way forward with a tailings dam, or without a tailings dam?”

Brief on Frieda and on issues of ownership and control and the pre-emptive rights of the State in resource projects.

“… be mindful of the growing disillusionment by the majority of our people and our Land owners in particular about the way we have dealt with the exploitation of our non renewable resources which continues to treat our people as mere spectators in this sector… “

Gabriel Ramoi | PNG Blogs

As the Market awaits the Decision of the International Tribunal to be handed down early next year  in London in the case referred by Oil Search Ltd against Interoil on its rights as an existing Partner in the Elk LNG project to be offered the first right of refusal to purchase any shares on offer by the project developer, the States own interest relating to pre emptive rights needs to be clearly  stated to avoid the situation that has landed the Prime Minister before the Leadership Tribunal with respect to the UBS K3 Billion loan from ever rising again.

All Hydro Carbon resources found beneath the surface of the earth and on our sea bed belongs to the State. Mining Exploration Licences and petroleum Retention Licences are the property of the State which reserves the right to enter into and to invest in these licences if it chooses too. While the Mining Act and the Oil and Gas Act allows the State to exercise its rights to take up to 30% Equity in Mining Projects and 22.5% in all hydro carbon Projects, these Acts do not prohibit the State from making  commercial investment decisions for the National Good.

There is a misconception that the Government of PNG cannot enter into any  major resource project until  after the completion of the Bankable Feasibility study by the licence holder and only at the commencement of negotiations on Mine or Petroleum Development Contract between the Developer and the State. This view is not only misconceived but is dangerous as it perpetuates neo colonialism.

With respect to  the case of Elk neither the State or its proxy  Oil Search were made an offer to inject additional capital into the Elk LNG project and ultimately on whether Total of France should be the development Partner in the Elk and Antelope Gas Fields. While Oil Search has gone for Arbitration the Government of PNG has been forced to enter into a Commercial  decision to enter into the UBS  loan to participate in the Elk Project via Oil Search Ltd. The important question that will still be dealt with is the State’s 22.5% interest in Elk and the value of that interest and for the State to enter the project now and participate in the decision as to whether Exxon or Total is made the developer of the PNGs second LNG project.

On this note we also remind our own senior Bureaucrats heading down to Sydney for the biannual shopping and Mining Conference at the Sydney Hilton not to mislead the Australian Mining  Community  in particular on another similarly large project , the Frieda Gold and Copper Project and the intent of the Government of PNG with respect to the issue of Ownership and Control of  our  country’s  biggest mining project. We remind our Sydney Mining Conference Participants to be aware of  NEC decision  265/2014  and to take note in particular to the contents of NEC Policy Submission 242/2014 which gives rise to the said decision.

Let me again caution our leading citizens that while making the case for Foreign Direct Investment in the PNG resource sector in a foreign land that they be mindful of the growing disillusionment by the majority of our people and our Land owners in particular about the way we have dealt with the exploitation of our non renewable resources which continues to treat our people as mere spectators in this sector and not to concede too much to investors whose main driver for investment is guided only by profit motive and not the improved quality of life for our people.

It would appear that while Total has been endorsed as the preferred developer of the second LNG project  no such endorsement has been given to Pan Aust Ltd to take on the responsibility of developing the Frieda Gold and Copper project on the contrary the State is desirous of owing and developing this massive deposit itself  jointly with Land owners and the two Provincial Governments of East and West Sepik  Province and that Pan Aust Ltd and Xstrata-Glencore would do well in accepting the offer made by the State to Xstrata Glenocre to acquire their interest in EL58 on the same terms as reached between Xstrata and Pan Aust Ltd on the 30th of September 2013 and that this is the position of the PNG Government unless overturned by Cabinet.

Western backs Ok Tedi bill on mine life extension to continue

The National aka The Loggers Times

WESTERN Governor Ati Wobiro says his people fully support the Mining (Ok Tedi 11th supplementary agreement) Bill.

He said that yesterday during debate on the bill allowing for mine life extension to continue.

Wobiro commended Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for his efforts in addressing issues of the people of Western relating to the Ok Tedi mine.

“I’m totally in support of the 11th supplementary agreement which has now been tabled before this Parliament, which will address a lot of our concerns,” Wobiro said.

“I’m very pleased that the government is taking a very strong view with regards to addressing the tailings issue.

“The people of the Fly River and the whole of Western province have been crying to the government to do something permanent.

“As the House knows, Ok Tedi will go on for a long time, may be another 50 years.

“It is important that this issue of the tailings dam be addressed and I’m pleased that the Prime Minister is addressing this through the 11thsupplementary agreement.”

Wobiro said another major issue was that of direct equity in the mine.

Parliament passes OK Tedi bill

Gorethy Kenneth | Post Courier

PARLIAMENT has unanimously passed the Ok Tedi Mine Extension (Eleventh Supplemental Agreement) Bill 2014 with support from the Opposition in a 75-0 vote.

This effectively approves the community mine continuation agreement and the eleventh supplemental agreement.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who introduced the Bill, also announced that all the benefits, including all the funds that are being held by the State through MRA and other agencies, would be transferred directly to the people and government of Western Province.

He said the direct shareholding will be well above 18 per cent and that it will be a free carry.

Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio signed the Ok Tedi Mine Extension – Eleventh Supplemental Agreement to extend the application of Community Mine Continuation Agreement.

The latter is the final and boundary agreement for the purpose of compensation and benefits between parties in the agreement.

In Parliament, Mr O’Neill said unlike other mines in PNG, the Ok Tedi mine was regulated under a commercial agreement which was approved by Parliament.

“According to the agreement, it will no longer be necessary for OTML to provide copies of all sales contracts to the Prime Minister for his approval prior to sale.

“This is no longer necessary as OTML now has long established buyers and a standard sales contract is used at regular intervals. There is no need for this level of oversight,” Mr O’Neill said.

The other change is to raise the borrowing limit for the Ok Tedi Development Foundation to K1 million, this is in keeping with inflation and more accurately reflects the cost of projects, he said.

The new law also gave parliamentary approval for the community mine continuation agreements. In November 2001, individual community mine continuation agreements were executed between OTML and the applicable community. There are nine agreements in total.

Mr O’Neill said the revised agreement makes two amendments to the principle agreement of 1976 which would improve the administrative efficiency in regulating the mine.

“In view of the extension of the mine life and ongoing environmental harm, OTML needed to go back to the communities and revisit the 2001 agreements,” he said.

Momis inap nau lo tanim toktok nabaut – Momis, enough with the lying

Buin Ogoi | ACT NOW!

Mi yet ples meri long south Bougainville laik tok stret long president blo mipla John Momis osem ol manmeri lo Bougainville ino longlong bai yu ken giamanim mipla lo hia na bihain go autsait na tanim toktok long ol pipol lo wol. Long autsait long Bougainville yu save toktok osem mipla ol pipol blo Bougainville inidim displa Panguna mine lo riopen. Mipla klia lo displa ol trick yu save mekim, yu ting mipla no save? Bihain long yu giamanim ol lain autsait yu save kam long mipla ol pipol na tok ‘mine bai riopen sapos ol pipol itok’. Yu wantem ol niusman blo yu save putim ol giaman rabis long nius na mekim mipla ol pipol iluk osem mipla sapotim riopening blo displa mine.

Yu tok osem klostu olgeta man na meri iwanbel na laikim riopening long ol pipol lo Australia, wanem evidence blo yu istap lo pruvim displa? Yu yet yu mas ikam na explainim we yu kisim kain ol evidence osem mipla laikim mine riopen. Noken tingting lo ileksen kempain blo yu na raunim Bougainville olsem flying fox. Nau yet lo displa taim yu wok lo raun nabaut opim ol liklik project nabaut long ol ples we yu no save putim lek or mak blo yu, tasol em orait yu save long mipla ol pipol lo hia, mipla iken smail na hamamas lo ai blo yu na u ting mipla istap lo gutpla bel wantem yu. Yu mas tingting gut lo displa samting.

Mi yet bin hamamas lo harim displa ripot ikam aut long ol pipol lo Panguna osem ol man na meri ino wanbel lo riopening. Displa ripot we wanpla grup lo Australia imekim, lo mi yet em displa ol toktok em makim tingting blo planti blo mipla lo ples. Yes, em itru osem mipla no laikim mining, mipla no nidim tu, na displa tingting ibin stap lo bipo yet ikam inap nau, na bai istap osem tasol. Plis President Momis inap nau lo giaman.

Ating, moa gutpla yu kam na tokaut long mipla ol pipol lo ples long as why yu save mekim ol displa kain ol toktok wantem nogat gutpla sapot blong mipla ol pipol. Sapos yu ting osem samting yu wok lo mekim em istret, ok inap yu tok why igat planti manmeri ino wanbel long ol toktok blo yu lo hia yet long Bougainville.

Mipla bin gat bikpla bilip osem bai yu bringim Bougainville lo independence osem na mipla votim yu long 2010 ileksen, tasol iluk osem yu wok lo traim bringim mipla go bek lo displa taim bipo we mine ibin bagarapim tru mipla ol pipol blo yu long taim ol poisin blo mine go insait lo wara na graun, na tu ol squata setelment ikam pulap tru we ol save rapim of yangpla meri na mama igo lo gaden, skul o wok, na kilim ol yangpla mangi blo Bougainville. Wanem samting imekim yu ting osem disla mine riopening bai narakain?

Narapla samting tu, yu ting displa ol land owners association blo Panguna go inap lo Loloho imakim maus blo olgeta manmeri? Yu tingting gut lo displa bikos ol displa giaman representative isave tasol long ol kona blo Arawa taun na ino long ples blong ol.

Taim yu bin kam lo Buin sampla wik igo pinis lo openim displa bikpla show, na ol toktok yu mekim long ol autsait man kam giamanim yumi nabaut, mi no bin wanbel long ol displa toktok bikos yu sutim pinga long ol na yu yet no lukim osem bikpla giaman tu yu wok lo mekim lo ai blo mipla ol pipol blo yu na autsait tu.

Olsem na gutpla president blo mipla, ating sapos yu no bin save mekim ol displa giaman toktok bipo , bai yumi stap lo gutpla bel na bai yu no inap gat displa kain ol toktok rabis long yu. Em mi yet ipilim hevi tru osem yu yet lida ikam lo sait blo mipla ol Buin, na displa ol pasin blo lidasip blo yu iwok lo mekim mipla lain blo yu pilim nogut. Ating moa gutpla yu lusim issue blo mining long ol Panguna yet na traim na lukluk long ol narapla wei yumi ken mekim independence blo Bougainville ikamap tru.

Translation

I, a village woman in South Bougainville want to frankly say to our president John Momis that the people of Bougainville are not stupid that he can trick us here and then go outside and say something else to the rest of the world. Outside Bougainville, you say that your people in Bougainville need the reopening of the Panguna mine. We are aware of this trick you play; do you think we do not? And after lying to the people outside you come to us and tell us that ‘the mine will reopen if the people say so’. You with your media people always putting out trash in the news making us the people look as if we actually support the reopening of this mine (Panguna).

You say that almost all people are in support of the mine reopening to the people of Australia, where is your evidence to prove this? You have to come and explain to us where you got the evidence that we the people want the reopening. Do not think about your election campaign which is causing you travel around Bougainville like a flying fox. Right now you are traveling around opening small projects in places you barely set foot on or even come to your consideration, but that is alright, you know the people here, we can smile and be merry in your eyes and you think we are in accord with you. You must seriously consider this fact.

I was very happy to hear about this report about the Panguna people; that they were not happy about the reopening of the mine. This report where a group from Australia (Jubilee Australia) compiled, from my perspective, represents the views of the majority of us the people in the villages. Yes, it is true we do not want the mine to be reopened, nor do we (the people) need it, and this was the notion that was from before until today, and it will stay like this. Please president Momis stop the lying.

I think it will be good if you come to us the people in the villages and explain why you make these kinds of twisting statements that do not have the people’s support. If you think what you are doing is right, then why there is great opposition from inside Bougainville?

We had much confidence that you would bring Bougainville to independence and that is why we voted you in the 2010 elections, but it seems that you are trying to bring us back to those times before when the mine brought much destruction to the people through poisoning of the rivers and land, and as well the sprouting of squatter settlements everywhere that harboured criminals that raped our young girls and mothers when they were going to work, school and gardens, not even our young men were safe too. What actually makes you think this proposed reopening will be different?

Another thing as well are these landowner associations from Panguna down to Loloho, do you really think they represent the people? You better give this more thought because these so-called representatives only know the corners of Arawa town, and not their villages.

When you came to Buin some weeks ago to open our show, and the statement you made about outsiders coming in and lying to us, I was not happy hearing those words because you pointed fingers at them and you yourself may have not realized your own big lie you have been making in front of us, your own people and outside too.

Therefore our good president may be if you have not been lying before, we would be in agreement with you and there would be no negative criticisms towards you. I, myself feel very bad that you, a leader from our side in Buin, with your leadership actions is painting a bad image of us your people. I think it would be better if you leave the issue of mining to the people of Panguna and you look at other alternatives that can help make the independence of Bougainville become a reality.

Nautilus mining vessel not due until end 2017

MAC signs contract with Fujian Mawei for seabed mining vessel

Offshore Shipping Online

Expanding on MAC’s long-term relationship with Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding, on 25 November 2014, a signing ceremony was held at Mawei’s shipyard for the execution of the shipbuilding contract for the Nautilus Minerals Seafloor production mining vessel.

The signing follows a five-year charter agreement MAC signed with Nautilus Minerals on 6 November 2014. The contract requires MAC to complete the design/construct/delivery of the vessel to Nautilus by the end of 2017.

The vessel design will be completed by Sea-Tech Solutions of Singapore.