Recently, the National Court of Papua New Guinea ruled that the provisions of the country’s 1992 Mining Act applied to the Porgera gold mine, allowing it to continue operating while the application to extend its Special Mining Lease (SML) is being considered. The current lease expires on August 16.
Porgera is operated by Barrick Niugini Ltd., a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Zijin Mining Co. The two companies welcomed the court’s ruling, saying it would allow operations at Porgera to continue after August 16, while the SML extension was finalized.
The companies also said Porgera is one of the largest mines in PNG, employing more than 3,100 people, and had been a key driver in its regional, provincial and national economies for the past 30 years.
