The Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Minister for Environment and Protection stated on the daily news paper dated October30, 2020 that an Hong Kong based company would be engaged to clean-up the mine waste in PNG at no cost to PNG government and the mining operators.
The company targets the river deltas where the Ok Tedi Mine and Porgera Mine dispose their mining waste. And the overseas based company is kind enough to clean up the mine waste in PNG.
The Minister may not be aware thinking that it is a good idea to get rid of the mine waste without realizing the value of the contents in it, Or he may be very well knowingly trying to get these assumed valuable residues from OK Tedi and Porgera which could be full of gold and other minerals. The Map interestingly showing the targets are Porgera and Ok Tedi river deltas. The foreign investor is not a non-sense to collect the mine waste from PNG deltas targeting Ok Tedi and Porgera tailings disposal rivers. The tailings contain gold other gangue minerals which are unable to extract at the processing plants in both Porgera and Ok Tedi Mining. And because both mines discharger their tailings into the river system, the sediments of these rivers (Strickland and Ok Tedi River) are rich in alluvial gold which can be extracted with improved techniques that can recover gold that are of fine particles.
It is good the company is interested in the mine waste disposal area and PNG should welcome the idea as it is an investing opportunity. however, the company's approach is quite not right and must re-strategize and must make its hidden intention known by way of exploration proposal or Mining Proposal rather than saying they want to clean-up mine waste. They should apply for mineral tenement/leases and do the right thing with the PNG Mining Regulator which is Mineral Resources Authority.
It must not be opposed but allow them to progress and re-phrase to mine alluvial gold from mine waste disposal areas rather then clean-up mine waste at the deltas. The deltas are rich in alluvial gold and industrial minerals if not known. It can only be proven with exploration and sampling.
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