Bryan Bailie

Bryan Bailie, executive project director of the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture, recently told the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum Conference in Sydney that PNG presents infrastructural challenges.

He said many of the existing infrastructure needed serious upgrading.

“PNG presents a challenging environment in the design and operation of terrestrial tailings storage facilities, primarily due to mountainous terrain, the high rainfall, poor conditions for containment bores, and limited availability of land due to topography, the environment and social heritage concerns.

Executive project director of the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture, Bryan Bailie, said this during the PNG Chamber of Mining and Petroleum Conference in Sydney early this month.

According to Business Advantage PNG, Bailie says the project could be ‘multi-generational’ and has the potential to be a ‘long duration sustainable mining operation’ that could last ‘28 to 35 years or more’.

If developed, the mine will be the largest underground mine in PNG and the first green field mine development since the Hidden Valley mine commenced in 2009.

Bryan Bailie, the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture executive project director, and the project owner representatives Craig Jones and Johannes van Heerden, said that lodgement of the SML application represents a crucial milestone in progressing the Wafi-Golpu Project.

“The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture has invested significant effort and resources to progress the Project exploration program and technical studies, and has engaged extensively with the local, provincial and national government, landowners and host communities and many other stakeholders,” said Bailie.