Sas, I started work at Ok Tedi in Aug 1969 and the first D D...

Sas, I started work at Ok Tedi in Aug 1969 and the first D D hole that we drilled went straight down the throat of the porphry cu/ag throat, 2400 ft and we were still in cu all be it only .6% but lots of it. By the time that I left 2 years later and some 40 odd holes we had a making of a potentional mine but heaps of work and permits yet to be achieved.
At the time that a feasibility study was completed ag was still pegged - $28 us / oz (1972) the thinking was take the gold cap would be a byproduct and start the mine off but when it finally did start ag was $150-200/ oz and it was a major earner and cu had fallen into a hole ( financially speaking )
PGN is a long hard place to get a mine going in the 2 years that I was there we had 20 days when it DID NOT RAIN-- 450 + inches per year but the rewards are there patience is a must its long, hard, expensive but very rewarding, just look at all the Cu/Ag mines up there THEY ARE big and worth while, cheers & luck all holders.