September 5, 2018
In its latest six-monthly update to the market, Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) confirmed it had remained active in Bougainville and remains totally committed to advancing the objective of resuming exploration and profitable and sustainable mining at Panguna.
BCL’s PNG general manager Mark Hitchcock said while the first half of 2018 had presented new challenges for the company, it remained optimistic about the future and continued to engage constructively in Bougainville.
“We are pleased to retain strong levels of support among the project area’s customary landowners and we continue to further build relationships with key stakeholders. This extends to supporting worthwhile community projects,” Mr Hitchcock said.
In April the company was granted leave in the PNG National Court to seek a Judicial Review of a decision by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) not to grant an extension of BCL’s exploration licence (EL1). This matter remains ongoing.
BCL sought the review as it believes the decision was legally and procedurally flawed.
“It is important to note that when leave was granted, the National Court also stayed the ABG’s decision not to renew the Exploration Licence. BCL’s application for the renewal of EL1 therefore remains undecided and according to the Bougainville Mining Act, it is deemed to have been extended pending the final court determination,” Mr Hitchcock said.
A separate decision by the ABG to place an indefinite mining reservation over Panguna does not apply to the BCL application which pre-existed the reservation.
In its company update BCL noted that current challenges had been exacerbated by an unresolved leadership dispute within the Special Mining Lease Osikaiyang Landowners Association (SMLOLA), one of nine associations relevant to the project area.
It stated that SMLOLA by its own admission in the PNG court was not an approved organisation under the Bougainville Mining Act 2015. In BCL’s view, any claim that the SMLOLA holds mineral rights in Panguna are therefore incorrect.
Mr Hitchcock said despite this, BCL continued to actively engage with landowner representatives from the project area.
https://postcourier.com.pg/bcl-committed-resume-exploration/
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