Canadian gold major Barrick will reduce power to the communities around Porgera, which currently receive free electricity from the mine, citing necessary cost reductions as the mine has been placed on care and maintenance amid a dispute with the Papua New Guinea government.
With effect from July 17, electrical power to Porgera communities will only be supplied between 18:00 in the evening and 06:00 in the morning, operator Barrick (Niuguini) Limited (BNL) announced on Thursday. Relations between Barrick and government have deteriorated since the rejection of the SML application in April.