Officials visit mine site Source: The National, Wednesday May...

Officials visit mine site
Source:
The National, Wednesday May 6th, 2015
THE Government has assured landowners and developers of the Frieda River copper-gold project in West Sepik that it is committed to the resource development.
This followed a meeting last Friday between Mineral Resources Authority, landowners and PanAust officials at the project site, during which MRA managing director Philip Samar said the Government was committed and was awaiting the delivery of the feasibility study by PanAust which is expected by the end of this year.
“The receipt of the feasibility study by the state from PanAust the project developer, would initiate
the next phase of the Frieda project to move it from exploration phase
to a development phase,” Samar said.
“The MRA, on behalf of government, will then assist in facilitating the statutory approvals including the grant of the mining lease to enable mine development.”
Landowners expressed their confidence in the Government’s efforts to facilitate the development of the Frieda project into a mine.
Landowner leader Bob Onengim said it was a first time for MRA chief to visit the project site, which he said was a significant show of commitment by the Government.
“We see this visit as a historical and an important one by any government department head, and your visit and presence here on site today has boosted our hopes and dreams that a mine development here in Frieda is imminent after 47 years of exploration,” he said.
Onengim said his group had pledged their support to all stakeholders including PanAust and the government.
PanAust currently indicates that Frieda will commence commercial production around 2020 and delivering in excess of 100,000 tonnes of copper and approximately 200,000 ounces of gold per year over a 20 plus years of mine life.


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