Nautilus Giant Seabed Mining Machines Will Wreak Havoc

Canadian company Nautilus is busy showing off its seabed mining machinery to a small select group of people from New Ireland and East New Britain – landowners and community leaders are unimpressed.

Pacific Scoop | September 29, 2017

Coastal communities across the Bismarck Sea under the umbrella of the Alliance of Solwara Warriors claim that Nautilus and the PNG Government do not have their consent to go ahead with experimental seabed mining in the Bismarck Sea.

“Who are these leaders from New Ireland province that Nautilus has hand selected?”, said Jonathan Mesulam of the Alliance of Solwara Warriors.

“I am from the West Coast of New Ireland Province and I hear my people’s concerns. Landowners on the west coast of New Ireland Province live only 25km from the Solwara 1 seabed mining site.”

“In June this year, more than 300 hundred people attended forums held in Namatanai and Kokopo hosted by Caritas Kavieng and the Archbishop of Rabaul. Papua New Guineans are worried about the impacts of this Canadian company’s experiment”, claimed Mr. Mesulam.

”There are too many unknowns and challenges in operating this equipment in our precious oceans. These are giant instruments of torture for our marine environment that is already stressed by pollution, over fishing and rising sea levels. Why is our Government burdening our island and coastal communities with extra problems?”

Lucielle Paru of the Central Province Pressure Group said “My community lives near the testing site at Motukea Island. We do not support the development of this equipment. The dockyard on Motukea Island is nothing like the conditions on the sea floor where the mining tools will be used. These trials will not provide any evidence that the equipment is safe to use. Did the Government do any due diligence checks before it used the money of Papua New Guineans to purchase a 15% share in such a high-risk project?”

“It is foreign to Melanesian culture to become so excited about giant machinery. Our traditions protect community and nature. This foreign company is pushing their values for their own financial gain at the expense of our people. Once they try out their destructive equipment in the Bismarck sea they plan to take it to mine all around the PNG coastline. No one living next to the sea will be safe.”

Dr. Helen Rosenbaum of the Deep Sea Mining Campaign said, “Nautilus is showing off its equipment to a small select group of people from New Ireland and East New Britain to try and buy support for Solwara 1. They know local communities strongly oppose this project. Nautilus is also desperately trying to convince investors that they are making progress. The company is struggling financially because Solwara 1 is very risky economically as well as environmentally.”

“This level of risk has scared off responsible investors who refuse to gamble with people’s lives and futures.”

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Japan Starts Mining Hydrothermal Deposits

Subsea News | 28 September, 2017

Japan has carried out the world’s first mining and lift test of hydrothermal deposits at about 1,600 meters depth in the ocean near Okinawa, the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) confirmed earlier this week.

The success of this test, which reportedly extracted zinc and other metals, should be a major step toward establishing the technologies required for ocean mineral resource development.

In addition to the results of this test, Japan plans to carry out economic evaluation such as resource amount assessment and environmental survey. According to the Ministry, the first test confirmed that there is no serious influence on the surrounding environment.

“We are planning to comprehensively promote efforts towards commercialization of submarine hydrothermal deposits by promoting economic evaluation and environmental investigation,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Nautilus treats landowners like fools and idiots

These giant machines will crawl across the ocean floor, tearing up the seabed in a strip mining operation and Nautilus expects us to believe there will be zero impact!

Our politicians may have been idiots to agree to this crazy experiment but Nautilus should not treat all Papua New Guineans as ignorant fools!!! 

Deep sea mining to have zero impact: Nautilus

Cedric Patjole | PNG Loop | September 28, 2017

Nautilus Minerals has boldly stated that Solwara 1 Deep Sea Mine will have zero impact on marine life and coastal communities in New Ireland Province.

This was affirmed during a site tour of Nautilus’s Sea Floor Productions Tools outside Port Moresby (SPT) by local leaders from New Ireland Province.

Nautilus said the technology employed for the project did not require explosives or chemicals and are confident there will not be any environmental impact.

Several local and provincial leaders from New Ireland Province, arrived in Port Moresby on Monday to see first hand the sea floor Production Tools being tested at Motukea Island outside the capital city.

The tour is part of Natuilus’s continuous effort to educate leaders and New Irelanders about the operation of the SPT’s which they assured will have no impact on the marine life and coastal villages.

Nautilus Vice President of PNG Operations, Adam Wright, gave a presentation about how the mining operations will be carried out, highlighting the technology used that will avoid any adverse impact.

“There will be no impact on the fish, there will be no impact on the reef and on the coastal communities,” said Wright.

The leaders had a close look at SPT’s which will be used on the sea floor of the Solwara 1 Project.

They included the bulk cutter (BC) and collecting machine (CM). The auxiliary cutter (AC), the third in Nautilus;s arsenal, was undergoing live tests while a tour of the control room was also included.

One local leader said after the tour that while they appreciate Nautilus’s efforts in educating them on how their operations will not affect the livelihoods of the people, he said they are still unsure but will only see the outcome.

He added they have agreements and understandings in place to ensure Nautilus carry’s out its business with the interest of the people at heart.

“Gavman givim tok orait pinins lo displa mine so mipla bai lukluk tasol. But yes mipla gat ol disla (agreements) where bai mipla toktok long em,” said John Ezra of Ward Four Namatanai LLG.

While the Mining Lease for the project had been branted [sic] in 2011, production equipment for the project is still in development.

While tests on the SPT’s are still underway , the ‘Riser and Lifting System (RALS) has just been completed and undergoing assessments while the mssive Production and Support Vessel (PSV) is still in development.

Nautilus expects first shipment from Solwara 1 Mine to begin in 18 months time after putting the project together for the last 10 years.

K92 Mining: Landowner pact allows mine to resume

Mining Business Media | September 27, 2017

PNG miner K92 has resumed underground operations at its Kainantu gold mine five weeks after mobile plant was damaged when a group of landowners entered the mine during discussions over grievances about the mine.

K92 says the minor damage to infrastructure and plant at the Eastern Highlands mine has been repaired. First ore is expected to be trucked next week, regaining pre-incident levels by end-Oct.

CEO John Lewins says K92 has signed a resolution with the Bilimoia Landowners Association and Mineral Resources Authority that allows it to build up underground production targeting commercial production in the near-term.

PNG PM tries to fool the world with false lament on declining oceans

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill Photo: Joosep Martinson

Mr O’Neill conveniently forgot to tell the United Nations his govt is the first to allow experimental seabed mining and one of the very few to allow ocean dumping of toxic mine waste (DSTP), instead he chose to pretend he cares about our declining oceans…

PNG leader laments declining health of oceans

Radio New Zealand | 25 September 2017

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister has conveyed deep concern over the declining health of the world’s oceans.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Peter O’Neill said global fish stocks were being decimated and ecosystems destroyed by human activity.

He said while Pacific countries were feeling the greatest impacts, the problem was of global relevance that required greater global action.

“We share growing concerns over the declining health of our oceans and seas that sustain so many nations. Uncontrolled and poorly regulated human activities, including illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, pollutants and plastics and of course marine debris are killing our waterways.”

Mr O’Neill said many PNG communities were being forces to abandon their traditional homes because the decline of ocean health means loss of food and livelihoods for them.

According to him, PNG is doing what it can to address the problem – an integrated national oceans policy has sought a coherent cross-agency approach to ocean governance.

But he stressed the need for more action on reducing harmful human activities in relation to oceans.

Mr O’Neill welcomed the first-ever Oceans Conference in support of Sustainable Development Goal 14 on conservation and sustainable use of oceans.

Tuke Optimistic About Mining Act Review

Post Courier | September 21, 2017

Mining Minister Johnson Tuke says he is optimistic about the outcome of the Mining Act review.

Mr Tuke told the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum this during his ministerial meeting yesterday.

He told the Chamber officials that despite his proposal to review the Mining Act which has created a lot of anxiety within the industry, he is optimistic of an outcome that would be accepted by affected parties.

He said as per the review of the Mining Act, his ministry and the National Government were working in line with government priorities to address it.

He said Prime Minister Peter O’Neill will meet with the Secretary for Department of Mining Harry Kore for a briefing on the review of the Mining Act this week and that the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) and the Department of Mining will also conduct a power-point presentation next week for all industry stakeholders.

His meeting with the chamber was to enhance the ministry’s relationship with the industry at which the minister said he is more than happy to hear what the chamber has to say regarding the mining industry in Papua New Guinea.

“All economic ministries have been given a 100-day ultimatum to perform by the National Government and therefore I would like to work closely with you, the Department of Mining, Mineral Resources Authority and all extractive industry companies in order to realise the government’s agenda.

“My plan is to visit all mining projects in Papua New Guinea as minister responsible and I would like to meet with company officials and discuss matters of importance,” said the Minister.

He also announced that during his term in the ministry he will take on board the Wafi-Golpu and Frieda River mining projects and ensure that these important mines are operational.

Redevelopment plan for new Panguna mine project underway

Abandoned BCL bus

The National aka The Loggers Times | September 21, 2017

THE Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) is working to implement its staged redevelopment plan for a new Panguna mining project and further build community support.

“We are actively building positive relationships and will continue to increase our presence in Central Bougainville over the coming months as we expand our community engagement activities,” said Executive Manager Justin Rogers.

Rogers led a BCL community engagement team with Buka-based Bougainville Manager Ephraim Eminoni and two senior project officers where they spent four days at Arawa, Central Bougainville.

The team met local stakeholders earlier this month which coincided with the opening of two major events – the national boxing championships and the 2017 Bougainville Chocolate Festival.

In addressing the opening ceremony, Rogers said;

“It was a chance for us to acknowledge the important parts played by the cocoa industry and the sport of boxing in terms of fostering economic development in Bougainville and the development of people more broadly.”

“Boxing provides opportunities for Bougainvilleans to not only train and compete at the local level, but to shine on the world stage, with no better example than young champion Thaddeus Katoa.”

Rogers said Bougainville’s cocoa industry looked to have a very bright future and had earned international recognition for the quality of its produce.

BCL considered the development of primary industries and other areas of potential, such as tourism, as critical to Bougainville’s future economic success, of which employment was fundamental.

Ongoing unrest affecting Porgera mine operations

The National aka The Loggers Times | September 20, 2017

PORGERA mine operations have been disrupted by the ongoing unrest and roadblocks, according to mine operator Barrick Niugini Limited.

Executive managing director Richmond Fenn said it had significantly impacted communities and businesses in the district.

“The unrest and violence we have seen in recent weeks, combined with frequent road closures on the Highlands Highway, not only impact operations at the Porgera mine, but also prevent the movement of people and goods to and from the region,” Fenn said.

“We hope that the situation improves soon, and we are working to assist the government and community leaders in bringing about lasting peace in the area.”

The two-week closure of the Wabag-Porgera road was lifted yesterday but a truck belonging to iPi Transport was torched soon after.

iPi Transport general manager Maso Mangape told The National that the roadblock was set up by relatives of a boy alleged to have been killed by the security forces last month.

“As two of our trucks were returning empty from Porgera, one was held up or hijacked at the Liop-Ipai section of the road just before Laiagam, and torched. Nothing is recoverable,” Mangape said.

“We are yet to establish the reasons and motives behind this action. It was at around the same location that a local was held up in his bus and shot dead about two weeks ago.”

Roadblocks at Surunki, Jiwaka and Chuave in the past two months “have cost this company so much”.
Mangape said it was frustrating for road-users such as iPi servicing the giant Porgera gold mine and helping contribute to the economy of this country, pay taxes and create employment.

“It is disappointing to see the Government not acting promptly to address these issues on the road,” he said.

Coal plant proposal for PNG city a poor option – NGO

Lae, Papua New Guinea Photo: RNZI/ Johnny Blades

Radio New Zealand | 19 September, 2017 

A proposal for a coal-fired power plant in Lae is a poor economic and environmental option, according to an anti-coal group in Papua New Guinea.

The proposal by Mayur Resources to build a plant on the Lae Tidal Basin has lingered for a couple of years, but failed to get a purchase agreement from PNG Power.

However Mayur had approval from PNG Ports through its re-development of Lae’s important port area.

But Chris Lahberger from Nogat Coal PNG said the government knew that a coal plant was not an efficient way to generate energy.

“But it just looks awful as well, as PNG is a signatory to the Paris (Climate) Agreement to go one hundred percent renewable, and a coal mine with a forty year life span,” Mr Lahberger said.

“Mayur are now suggesting that the life span of this coal plant to be fifteen years. But the economics of that just doesn’t stack up. Like you would not make your money back from your investment if you ran it for just fifteen years.”

Mr Lahberger said renewable energy was a better alternative.

Canadian First Nations reject mining proposal after conducting their own intensive review

The proposed location at Pípsell is a sacred, culturally and historically important site to the First Nations. Photo: Wilderness Committee

Could this be a model for communities in Papua New Guinea? 

Rather than relying on mining company propaganda, lets do our own independent assessments of mining proposals…

KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. wants to build the Ajax open-pit copper and gold mine near the city of Kamloops, British Columbia in Canada

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The Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation (SSN) representing the First Nation communities in the area conducted their own thorough 18-month review of the project and have said NO to the Ajax mine project.

The SSN reviewed 20,000 pages of information and over 300 reports. They held a public comment period and heard from over 80 experts at an oral panel hearing.

From what they learned the SSN determined that the project is too risky for the health and well-being of the Secwepemc and everyone else.

The federal government has committed to a fairer environmental assessment process and to respecting the rights and title of Indigenous Peoples. Will they honour that commitment and reject the Ajax mine for good?