The world’s second largest gold miner, Barrick, says it remains open to negotiations with Papua New Guinea to reopen the Porgera mine, but stresses that negotiations have to be in good faith and without preconditions.
Prime Minister James Marape has said that the government will engage with joint venture operator Barrick (Niugini) Limited (BNL), but only if it were to withdraw its legal action.
BNL said it was ready to work Marape directly to find a resolution to the standoff, which had cost 2 650 employees their jobs, forced the closure of 200 Porgera enterprises and cost contracting companies K140-million in the first two months of the mine’s shutdown.