PNG amends mining laws to boost revenue

Prime Minister James Marape came to power a year ago on a platform to lift the country out of poverty by getting a bigger share of wealth from the country’s energy and minerals. His government this week secured an emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund.

The country would not break legitimate exploration or development contracts or agreements, Marape said in a posting on his Facebook page after the legislation was passed on Wednesday.

“I can assure our investors that we know they must make money for their shareholders too, so we will not be greedy, but we (are) just asking for a fair share, if they want to harvest our resources,” Marape wrote.

The government also plans to put in place a production sharing regime to take effect from 2025, he said.

Marape’s push for more benefits for PNG has held up talks on Exxon’s P’nyang gas development, key to a $13 billion plan to double the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

Credit Suisse analyst Saul Kavonic said the amended law could pose challenges for the project.

“The move may signal the PNG government’s resolve to maintain a tough approach to fiscal terms negotiations,” Kavonic said in a note.

Exxon said in an emailed statement: “We are hopeful that we can continue to work towards an outcome that benefits all stakeholders.”

The mining law changes deal with the government’s rights to take back tenements where a lease has lapsed or been cancelled.

That follows the government’s refusal to extend an expired lease over the Porgera gold mine, mainly owned by a joint venture of Barrick Gold Corp and China’s Zijin Mining Group.

Newcrest Mining, which is looking to develop the Wafi Golpu gold project, said the changes would not affect its operations.