Member Country Report of Papua New Guinea - CCOP

COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR GEOSCIENCE PROGRAMMESIN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (CCOP)CCOP Building, 75/10 Rama VI Road, Phayathai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, ThailandTel: +66 (0) 2644 5468, Fax: +66 (0) 2644 5429, E-mail: ccopts@ccop.or.th, Website: www.ccop.or.thANNUAL MEMBER COUNTRY REPORTCountry: PAPUA NEW GUINEA Period: 1 July 2008 - 30 June 2009GEO-RESOURCES SECTOR1. MINERAL PROGRAMME1.1. SummaryThe year has been a time for re-building of the Geological Survey of Papua NewGuinea after some years of relative inactivity. Key to the re-building is the recruitment ofwell-qualified geologists and the re-organizing of the technical library and of rock and coreholdings. No major activities have been completed during the year.1.2. Annual Review of Individual Technical ActivitiesMRA is compiling 1:100,000-scale geological maps and explanatory notes based onexisting data; the maps and notes will be made available on the MRA website. The maps arean interim product and will be updated from time to time. The objective of the maps is tomake unpublished information readily available with a view to encouraging mineral andpetroleum exploration and geological research. Fifty maps are targeted; the first wascompleted in the current year and others will follow at an expected rate of 4-6 per year,depending on availability of geologists and cartographers.MRA is systematically gathering magnetic susceptibility and radiometric data onrocks from around PNG. The first surveys have focused on known mineralized areas. Theaim is to develop a nation-wide spread of data. The data can be used to enhance theinterpretation of magnetic and radiometric survey data.Papua New Guinea as a mining State, contributed 64 % of its GDP export, fromminerals (from Bank of PNG Quarterly Report, Dec. 2008). Papua New Guinea is ranked inthe top 10 destinations for mineral exploration and development (Raw Materials Groupsurvey, Sweden, 2008). The Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) continues its mandatedfunction by regulating the mining industry in PNG and make readily available information ongeology, exploration, tenements and mining to investors.There is significant interested by foreign companies for Exploration Licenses (EL).The Mining Advisory Council (MAC) meets monthly to deliberate on several applicationsand renewals.As at August 2009, the Exploration Licenses stood at;• 242 current licenses; inclusive of the 74 offshore licenses• 67 licenses under renewal; inclusive of 26 offshore licenses• 94 new applications; inclusive of 21 offshore licensesAlmost 40% of the tenements granted and under application are for exploration of thesea floors; in the Bismarck Sea to the north, and the Solomon Sea to the south of PNGrespectively.Papua New Guinea maintains the number of producing mines at 6; Ok Tedi mine isproducing copper, gold and silver; Porgera, Simberi & Tolukuma mines are producing goldCCOP Member Country Report: PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1