Volume 34 2023
M A G A Z I N E
MT BALBI A trek to the summit of Bougainville’s active volcano reveals Jurassic era jungles, strange birds, steaming fumaroles and a vivid blue crater lake P8
Rural Women Photo Essay P18
Conflict Islands on the Market P43
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MAGAZINE PNG Air
Welcome aboard and Happy New Year.
PUBLISHED BY Pacific Islands Publishing Editor Margo Nugent m.nugent@moore.com.pg Airline Editorial Contact Simon Pitt simon.pitt@pngair.com.pg Sales and Distribution Maiyola Steven pipsales@moore.com.pg
Thank you for choosing to fly with the people’s airline.
While 2022 was a big year for the airline as we celebrated 35 years of connecting PNG, 2023 is all about business growth and continuity. We continue to operate scheduled passenger, charter and cargo flights as normal, servicing over 20 destinations every week with our mixed fleet of Dash 8-100 and ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft. The beginning of the year has seen us renew long-standing partnerships with organisations that we have supported. We have also fostered new relationships with other businesses to further expand our reach and contribution to PNG. Our subsidised packages with the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority and travel operators around the country continue to roll out, with new destinations added to give travellers even more choice. We have received many positive comments about these deals, which present savings of up to K1000 per person and encourage local travellers to book and explore more of our country – Papua New Guinea. Our social media channels are regularly updated with this information. On behalf of the board and management team, we appreciate your choice to fly PNG Air, whether you are a regular traveller or if this is your first flight. We once again acknowledge the support given by our travelling mine workers such as Newcrest Mining on Lihir, St Barbara Mining in Simberi and K92 Mining in the Ramu Valley as we also try to support their needs for FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) services both within PNG and connecting abroad.
Design and Layout Anthony Lingnonge pipart@moore.com.pg Correspondence to the airline:
All rights reserved. © Copyright 2023 by Pacific Islands Publishing, a division of Moore Business Systems (PNG) Limited. Reproduction in whole or in part of without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Statements, opinions and view points expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher, editor, or the airline. Information contained in this publication is assumed to be correct only at the time it was originally obtained by the writers and may be subject to change at any time without notice. Any material accepted is subject to revision as is necessary in the publisher’s sole discretion to meet the requirements of this publication. Whilst all care will be taken neither the publisher nor the airline will accept responsibility for accidental loss or damage. Marketing Manager PO Box 170, Boroko, N.C.D. Papua New Guinea Ph: +675 302 3100 Fax: +675 325 2219 E: pngair@pngair.com.pg Editorial correspondence to: The Editor Pacific Islands Publishing PO Box 7543, Boroko, N.C.D. Papua New Guinea Ph: +675 321 0000 Fax: +675 321 0002 E: m.nugent@moore.com.pg Printer Moore Printing Scratchley Road, Badili N.C.D. Papua New Guinea Ph: +675 321 0000
Once again thank you, and enjoy your flight.
Stanley Stevens Acting Chief Executive Officer
Cover photo A man from Tokarao village, Buka Island, greets Mt Balbi trekkers on the road from Wakunai “ Mt Balbi: A Push Of Endurance” Page 8 Photo: Pierre Constant
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Contents 08 Mt Balbi: A Push of Endurance A challenging trek to the summit of Bougainville’s active volcano, Mt Balbi,
50 PNG Air –News
PNG Air news bulletin and updates
. 53 PNG Air
Inflight Games Exercise the
rewards contributor Pierre Constant with Jurassic Park-like jungle vistas, unusual birds, steaming fumaroles and a vivid blue crater lake.
mind with Christina Lovatt’s crossword and puzzles for your enjoyment.
54 PNG Air –
Where We Fly A map of Papua
18 Rural Women, Rural Life Self-taught photography
New Guinea and PNG Air flight routes, plus airline contact information, transfer information, and Inflight Games’ puzzle solutions.
enthusiast Elijah Tali – who shares his images freely through his Facebook page ‘Niugini Shutterbug’ – created this photo essay from his travels to remote parts of PNG’s Sepik, Fly and Frieda rivers, with a particular interest in documenting the working lives of rural women. A privately-owned atoll made up of 21 pristine islands in Milne Bay – the postcard-perfect Conflict Group of Islands – is on the market for the first time in 20 years. But its hefty AU$25 million price-tag has a non-negotiable caveat: The new owner must continue the turtle and other marine-life conservation work of its current owner, and draw up a plan of benefits for local communities.
18 “Rural Women, Rural Life” Bosset villagers (Middle Fly District, Western Province) use dugout canoes to travel to their food gardens and collect firewood
56 PNG Air –
Inflight Comfort A few health tips and easy exercises to help
make your PNG Air flight as comfortable as possible.
43 Paradise for Sale
43 “Paradise for Sale” Panasesa Passage, Conflict Islands, Milne Bay
08 “Mt Balbi: A Push of Endurance” The blue crater lake at the summit of Mt Balbi
“Paradise for Sale” Local handicrafts on sale for cruise ship visitors at Conflict Islands Resort
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A PUSH OF ENDURANCE Pierre Constant www.calaolifestyle.com MT BALBI:
Volcanic steam rises on the slopes of Mt Balbi’s Crater B on Bougainville Island. The yellow sulphur deposits are clearly visible
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I had been almost everywhere in PNG in the last 30 years, but never to Bougainville and Buka islands, therefore my curiosity – coupled with an interest in caves, underground rivers and unusual birds – finally led me there last year. My main motivation was to climb Mt Balbi, an active stratovolcano dating from the late Pleistocene’s ice age, rising at 2715m, and The PNG Air flight out of Port Moresby lands in Kieta, in the humid heat of Bougainville Island’s southeast. Patrick is there in his 4WD to drive me to Arawa, 40 minutes away. It’s an immediate dive into the local ‘far composed of six distinct craters.
west’! Settling down quickly at Cintex Guesthouse, my host takes me for a little tour of town, its traditional market displaying sweet potatoes (kaukau), taro, cassava, ground peanuts, long leaves of dried tobacco, smoked fish and not to forget betelnut ‘buai’ with the mustard stick. When I mention my desire to go up to the old Panguna copper mine, Patrick suggests we first ask permission from one of the landowners – “because this is normally a ‘no go zone’, you know?”. We visit Chris Uma, an ex-commander of the BRA (the Bougainvile Revolutionary Army involved in the bloody decade-long civil war over Panguna that
A male hornbill peers down at us from his tree perch
“The Solomon hornbill is heard mostly by the peculiar sound of its flapping wings when in flight, heavy, propeller-like, as if straight out of the prehistory”
The writer Pierre Constant embarks on a gruelling jungle trek
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“Through a window in the vegetation to the southeast, I distinguish in the distance the perfect cone of Mt Bagana volcano (1750m), smoking heavily – a picturesque postcard of a Jurassic world . ”
Mt Bagana volcano (1750m) smokes in the distance
ended 25 years ago and cost 20,000 lives). Black as ebony, bearing a beard, with a muscular body, the man looks wild as he sits on a plastic chair under the verandah of his house. He stares at me coldly
with charcoal burning eyes. I get a categoric ‘no’ to my visitation request, without any explanation. “He thinks you want to take some photos and that you are going to make some money,” explains Patrick, sorry for me.
Never mind. As the night comes I meet Jerom, who will be my guide for Mt Balbi. He’s a tall gentle guy, a bit shy upon the first look. After some issues of understanding with the villagers of Tokarao – our destination – we
leave Arawa the next morning in a local PMV (Public Motor Vehicle) that we hail on the road at Panguna Junction bound for Wakunai, a village on the east coast. The Toyota Landcruiser speeds on a rather rocky dirt road
Our PMV (above with driver) takes us over creeks from Wakunai to Tokarao, a mountain village 25km inland, from where we will set off on our Mt Balbi trek
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bordering the jungle, with peaks and ridges on our left. The Pacific Ocean lies placidly in the east. It takes only 90 minutes to reach Wakunai, but then we must wait until 3pm for another PMV to take us up to Tokarao, a mountain village 25km inland. “Unless you want to hire a private transport for K200...” Jerom remarks. No way. It starts raining cats and dogs, and we take shelter under a shed. I begin to worry about the trek to Mt Balbi, which will be hellish if these conditions persist. “It is very cold on the mountain,” says Jerom. Pastor Messac, who comes to greet me, smiles reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it will
Woman from Tokarao village
be great weather tomorrow.” It is 6.20am and the day breaks over Tokarao. After a breakfast of hard- boiled eggs, coconut buns and coffee, we are set to go. The trail is very wet, and the high grasses of the jungle make my pants, shoes and socks totally soaked
in no time at all. We climb on a steep slope, making slow progress under the cover of tree ferns – locally known as ‘rotokas’ – while pale mountain pigeons (Gymnophaps solomonensis) make themselves heard in the foliage. This endemic species to Bougainville
and the Solomons is encountered at
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A closeup of a cardinal lory, a curious red parrot endemic to Bougainville and the Solomons
A pale mountain pigeon below Tutue (Mt Balbi)
at least 35 species are endemic to the Solomon archipelago. Through a window in the vegetation to the southeast, I distinguish
The male distinguishes itself by a yellowish white head, nape and breast, with the rest of the body totally black, except for a white tail. The big curved bill is white with a dark red base. A conspicuous distinction of the species is the helmet – reddish, with a juxtaposition of horny scutes (plates) jutting forward from the base of the beak. The female is totally black, except for a white neck. It was initially named after the British naturalist (Edward Blyth) who identified it. The Solomon hornbill is heard mostly by the peculiar sound of its flapping wings when in flight, heavy, propeller- like, as if straight out of the prehistory. It is hard to see due to the dense foliage of the forest. The tough and fastidious climb leads eventually to the so- called ‘first camp’, on a ridge in the jungle, at the foot of Tutue – the local name for Mt
A Solomons cockatoo in flight, Mt Balbi
in the distance the perfect cone of Mt Bagana volcano (1750m), smoking
heavily – a picturesque postcard of a Jurassic world. As we gain in elevation, the Solomons cockatoo (Cacatua
solomonensis) is remarkable, often flying in squads screeching loudly over the top of the
canopy. Totally white with the underwings yellow, a white erectile crest and the eye circled with a pale blue ring, this is another endemic species to the Solomons region. Equally present, but much harder to see, is the Solomon hornbill (originally Papuan or Blyth’s hornbill – Rhyticeros plicatus harterti), an endemic sub-species to Bougainville – and also common in PNG.
elevations up to 2000m and over. Its head, neck and chest are pearl grey, with darker grey-green wings. The roots that run wildly on the ground do not make for easy going, not to mention branches and logs that often block the way. Time passes slowly in silence, only torn by the piercing calls of the multicolored rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus
haematodus), a beautiful bird with its purple-blue head, yellow nape, red breast and green plumage. The cardinal lory (Pseudeos cardinalis) is often seen in pairs, a red parrot with darker wings that is also endemic to Bougainville and the Solomons. Their innate curiosity is a welcome diversion for sure. Out of 229 species of birds in Bougainville,
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Our porter Rula (left) and guide Jerom, with Mt Balbi lake inside Crater C in the background
“The volcanic stones covered in moss turn out to be as treacherous as soap”
be our mattress, over which Jerom spreads out a blue canvas. My sleeping bag will be well appreciated for at 2000m the night will be cool and humid. This is the time when the cuscus (Phalanger maculatus), a lovely marsupial, will roam around in the trees in search of food. Large flying foxes will come to disturb my sleep by the singular sound of their wings, to which the powerful torch beam of our porter Rula will be added for light effect. Rula (aka Godzilla) will catch one of these creatures for his kaikai (dinner), once back in the village. Luckily it does not rain during the night and the weather looks
ideal. After some scotch finger biscuits and a cold coffee, our wandering continues in the altitude jungle. Carved by the rains, the trail is just wide enough for one foot to be placed in front of the other, under the inquisitive gaze of another pale mountain pigeon. Some noisy Solomons cockatoos manifest themselves as well, flying above the canopy in flocks, and landing on some dead branches to observe us closely. Graceful bamboo outlines an open window to the mountainous landscape above. Before we leave the forest, we come under a collection of giant tree ferns that are close to 10m in height.
Balbi – after four and a half hours of sustained effort. An additional 50 minutes are still
where we shall spend the night. A simple hut of branches, with palm barks in lieu of roofing, will do fine. A carpet of ferns will
required to reach the ‘second camp’,
A simple branch hut for our second camp on Mt Balbi
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a monster canyon, between thick white active fumaroles (volcanic vents), which reveal some sulphur deposits at their base. We climb up a last steep rim, which leads to a summital crater, known as Crater C, circled by green vegetation of long pointed grasses in tight tufts. There, catching my breath, I marvel at a jewel of nature, a turquoise blue lake, surreal in such desolated scenery. At a distance, on an adjacent rim, other fumaroles are rising towards the sky. “Let’s go over there!”, shouts Jerom merrily, pointing his arm in the right direction. An explosion crater is hiding beyond the razor’s edge, with impressive vertical cliffs. This is Crater B, beyond which lies the latest hot dust clouds (nuée ardente) at 1825m. The thick gloomy plumes of the solfataras (sulphuric steam vents) are rising from those inner cliffs, blown by the breeze coming from the northwest. Luminous sulph ur deposits
A fumarole in Crater D
are conspicuous on the flanks of the pit crater. Situated at the southeast end of the Emperor Range, Mt Balbi stratovolcano would have erupted on January 1 of year 1 BC. It is made of pyroclastic cones and lava domes of andesitic and basaltic/ andesitic nature. Its six distinct craters (A to F) line up on an axis from NW to SE. Crater C is that of the lake. The last eruption known to the locals would have occurred
in the years 1800-1850, without precision. It was responsible for a number of deaths on the island. To the west, the fog of the lowlands is rising up slowly, but surely. It is 10.15am and the turn-around is imperative, before we are wrapped in the mist. Despite a stop at the campsite – where Rula retrieves my backpack – the return to Tokarao proves to be very challenging, a true trial of life. The green hell of the jungle reveals
Their trunks bear the marks of almond- shaped vertical lentils. In another hour and a half, our vision opens up to a vast and austere volcanic panorama, sooty grey. This is Crater D, a field of consolidated ashes forming a solid crust, greatly weathered by the rains. We follow
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Jerom surveys the grey field of consolidated ash that makes up Crater D
itself once again with slippery roots and numerous logs to cross over. Added to this are the holes that one can’t see, and in places the volcanic stones covered in moss, which turn out to be as treacherous as soap. Sudden falls are unpredictable and unavoidable. The trail seems to be endless and I am overwhelmed by a miserable feeling of being pushed beyond the limits of my endurance, both physically and psychologically. “The courageous ones who venture on this trek, do it usually in three days,” confides my 27-year-old guide Jerom. “Therefore, I am satisfied with the way you walk.” For my part, I did it in two days, including a 7h30 walk on day 2. In
conclusion, it is not too much to say: Mt Balbi – you have to deserve it! An unforgettable experience, forever engraved into my memory.
PNG Air flies from Port Moresby to Kieta weekly For bookings: Call + 675 74112644
The writer Pierre with a background of sulphur gas plumes on the rim of Crater B
History Snapshot Bougainville Island was originally known as North Solomons as it is geographically attached to the Solomon Islands, although politically part of PNG. The first human being settled here 29,000 years ago during the Pleistocene’s ice age when the island was in fact part of Greater Bougainville when many of the Solomon Islands were joined together as a big land mass. This became known after the discovery of Kilu Cave (Buka Is) in 1987. In a rock shelter close to the seashore, remains of nerite (snail) shells were found, as well as bones of varanids (lizards), snakes and fish. Volcanic tools such as flakes (shaped stones) were brought into light. If the first inhabitants were of Australo- Melanesian origin, they were followed 3000 years ago by the Austranesians of the Lapita culture, who introduced pottery, agriculture and domestic animals such as pigs, dogs and chickens. The first Europeans were the Dutch – William Schouten and Jacob Le Maire – who sailed along Takuu atoll and Nissan Island in 1616. They were followed by the British navigator Philip Carteret who saw Buka Island in 1767.
However, it is the French admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville who gave his name to the island after he navigated along the east coast. The German colonial empire annexed the island in 1886, after it settled an agreement with the British empire over sharing the Solomon Islands. The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force took over Bougainville in 1914, and integrated it into the Territory of New Guinea in 1919 by mandate of the League of Nations. The Japanese invasion of 1942 was short lived, replaced by the Allied counter- offensive which regained full control of the islands in 1945. The Territory of Papua and New Guinea returned under the wing of Australia until the independence of PNG in 1975. The Bougainville Crisis, the violent civil war that was waged against the PNG Government from 1988, reached a ceasefire in 1998, and an agreement to create the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) was declared on June 25, 2002. The region overwhelmingly voted for independence in a 2019 referendum and leaders have set a deadline of the end of 2027 for its introduction.
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RURAL WOMEN, RURAL LIFE Words & Photos: Elijah Tali, Niugini Shutterbug
M y work in the goldfields of Frieda River and my side business selling solar lights takes me to rural and very remote communities, particularly in East and West Sepik and out to Western Province. I am a photo enthusiast, a ‘shutterbug’ – I wouldn’t call myself an amateur or professional RIGHT: It is now becoming a common practice in remote areas to see grandparents looking after grandchildren, while the kids’ parents are out on daily activities and chores. Pictured is Mama Betty from Daf village, upper Eliptamin, West Sepik with her grandson.
photographer, I just like taking pictures. This collection was put together to offer to Lily PNG Women’s Magazine as it focuses on rural women and aims to give a glimpse of what their lives are like. My wish is to share my work with the rest of the world and with the entire nation of PNG, to
TOP LEFT: A woman from Kobranz village, Elips Valley, Telefomin, wears a feather headdress on Independence Day last year as part of celebrations involving singsing groups and fun community activities. LEFT: Women from Kiriwina in the Trobriand Islands weave the famous Milne Bay basket, a vital form of income for Islanders, especially the women, who travel for several days by boat to sell them at the Alotau Town Market.
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ABOVE RIGHT: Looking after the children is not an easy task, especially for women in rural areas. They do not
show the daily lifestyles, the obligations, the traditions and cultures of people in different and remote parts of our country. I started taking pictures when I was about 12 and mini digital cameras were very common. I would buy AA-sized batteries in Lae and bring them home on school holidays to Siassi Island (Morobe) to use in my “My aim is to give a glimpse of what the lives of rural women are like”
have any help at all when it comes to household chores. Apart from child rearing, they clean the house, do laundry, prepare meals and tend their gardens. This mother is from Manado (West Papua) and is married to a Bosset man. Image captured at their Bosset home, Middle Fly District.
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to publish and share on Facebook. I spent most of my holidays at home with my family and loved the peaceful environment – the simple village lifestyle and the natural beauty of the place. I went on to study The wife of one of the local community leaders cleans up after a public forum in Manda village, Middle Fly.
older sister’s digicam, taking pictures of almost anything that looked good and interesting. That was in the early 2000s. One thing that motivated me was seeing ‘wallpaper’ of striking landscapes on people’s computer monitors and laptops, so I began making my own of PNG scenes – beaches, rivers, mountains and islands –
in Port Moresby – electrical studies at POM Tech, then
The women of Eliptamin, a remote area in the Telefomin District (West Sepik) spend their days weaving beautiful tulip bilums, which are famous in this area and are made from the bark of the local tulip tree. Due to the remote area, the women cannot access store-bought wool so they make their own by stripping and beating the bark then twisting it into strings. The woven bilums are used for local sales, bride price payments or for everyday household chores.
A mother from Manda village in the Middle Fly District of Western Province fillets the famous barramundi, a daily chore for most women in this area to feed their families and earn a few kina. They sell the fish on the roadside or to sailors and ship crews of vessels along the Fly River. With little to no access to store goods, this fish is their staple source of meat.
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IMMIGRATION ENTRY PERMIT WORK PERMIT
TRAVEL UPDATE COVID-19 VACCINATION CARD
It is a requirement to attach your Covid-19 vaccination certificate and a Supplementary Health Form each time you apply for a visa.
VISA ON ARRIVAL (VOA) Visa on Arrival for all eligible nationalities remains suspended until further notice.
Tourist (Own itinerary) Tourist (Tour package) Visiting relative Restricted Employment Visa (REV) Yacht person (Owner/Captain) Aid worker/volunteer Visitor/Journalist (60 days) Visitor/sports person (60 days) Easy visitor permit (30 days) Easy visitor permit (60 days) Business short-term single entry Foreign Official - short term THE FOLLOWING VISAS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE : WE MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU. APPLY ONLINE FOR eVISA ON YOUR NEXT VISIT TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
PASSPORT VALIDITY Your passport must be valid for over 6 months.
WORK PERMIT Foreign nationals who will be engaged in formal employment in the private sector need a work permit approval before applying for a visa. Your employer is responsible to sponsor your work permit and work visa applications. PRIORITY PROCESSING A standard priority processing fee of US$2,000 applies to all visa categories for fast track processing within 24 - 48 hours.
VISA AND WORK PERMIT FORMS You can download the forms on PNG Immigration website.
TYPES OF WORK PERMIT There are three types of work permit: 1.) General Work Permit is issued for commercial/employment purposes. 2.) Volunteer permit is issued to voluntary works and, 3.) Bridging permit applies to change in employment status, promotion or whilst awaiting new permit to be granted.
NOTE: PNG Government has allowed visa auto-grant only to selected visa classes under the Visitor visa category and the Restricted Employment Visa (REV).
www.ica.gov.pg Apply through this website only:
Papua New Guinea Immigration & Citizenship Authority, Central Government Office, Ground Floor (Tower A), Melanesian Way Waigani, PO Box 1790, Boroko, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
information technology at IBS and TAFE Ela Beach – and work in IT support at Bishops and
KK Kingston. I changed careers in 2018 to work as a chauffeur/control room dispatcher for
the US Embassy during the APEC Summit, then, after recovering from a shoulder injury,
changed careers again to work as a gold miner! Five years ago I started working in small alluvial
Delilah, a Grade 8 student at Wabia Primary School, Telefomin, spends her school holidays panning for alluvial gold along the Frieda River to earn extra income for her parents.
Sisters Jesse and Jessica, both mothers, from upper Elips, Telefomin, get ready to head to the garden for the day.
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an opportunity to buy and distribute solar powered lights as they are essential to people living in remote areas so every two or three months I travel through East and West Sepik and Western Province delivering the lights to my customers. Memories of each place I travel to are kept in my gallery. A friend gave me my first Canon DSLR in 2019 and I moved up from taking photos on my smartphone. It was a basic camera with simple features and functions but unfortunately after a few months developed smartphone – there was no question of stopping because for me the love and passion of taking pictures is never-ending! In 2021 I some problems so it was back to my LEFT: Mothers takes their children to the medical clinic somewhere between Sepik River and May River via Wanep. Parents travel hours from their homes to access medical care so unsurprisingly, serious emergency cases usually result in death.
Women sell betelnut and other produce at LabLab Wharf on Siassi Island, Morobe Province, relying on passenger-cargo ships such as MV Ialibu calling in from Lae and Kimbe to bring customers. Earning an income on a remote and isolated island is difficult, particularly when all three of the island’s airstrips are closed so the only way to get there is by sea.
RIGHT: Young women in remote areas find it difficult to raise their children. Without formal education or jobs, they struggle to find money to care for their children, and as a result the children suffer and go without. Pictured is young mother Milly from Manda, Middle Fly District of Western, with her son Isaiah.
mining camps, panning and dredging for gold, in East Sepik’s Ambunti District (May River) then to Frieda River in the Tunap- Hunstein Range of West Sepik where I am still based. I also found
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ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT: Panning for gold is a task that involves the whole family, even children like this one as young as three or four are taught how to do it. Small-scale mining is very common in most remote areas of PNG and requires hard work as without this there is no money for food. Mothers and children carry loads of fuel and rations and walk for several hours to reach the Frieda River mining camps in East Sepik and repeat the process when they run low on supplies. Those pictured walked in from Oksapmin in the Telefomin District, a journey of several weeks. They buy basic goods like salt, cooking oil, detergent, solar lights and food rations to sustain them on the walk. The river attracts people from most parts of East and West Sepik to try their hand at gold panning.
LEFT: Young girls and their mothers from Bosset village (Middle Fly District, Western Province) use dugout canoes to travel to their food gardens and to collect firewood as they live on the edge of a vast lagoon.
PNG Air flies from Port Moresby to Wewak (East Sepik) and Kiunga (Western) five times per week For bookings: Call + 675 7411 2644
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RIGHT: A mother weaves a sago basket or ‘ava’ as it is commonly known in the local Kuni-Boazi language of Middle Fly. The basket is used to strain and trap waste when the sago is being washed.
ABOVE: A Trobriand Island woman sells carvings at the Alotau Main Market. Trobriand Islanders, especially the women, can be identified by their stretched ear lobes. The carvings, done mostly by the men, depict traditional totems and marine sea life. Carved from precious wood such as ivory, kwila and sandalwood, the men take time to perfect each piece before it is sold. These carvings, along with woven baskets, fans and mats, and bagis (traditional necklaces) are the main source of income for Trobriand Islanders.
• Follow Elijah Tali on Facebook at Niugini Shutterbug www. facebook.com/eetee_ photogallery
bought a Nikon D5600 – a digital SLR camera, with a tripod, a few SD memory cards, an external microphone for video recording and other basic
accessories, and the photos of my travels stepped up a notch. I photograph people and places, plants, animals, landscapes and portraits.
I will continue my journey and travel to other areas of PNG and hopefully to the world, always documenting life in remote places.
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Department of Petroleum and Energy Advertorial
An Update on the Petroleum Resources Sector in Papua New Guinea 12th January to 31st December 2022
generation, transmission and distribution to cover the entire country and its population is important for sustainable economic growth and improvement in the living standards and quality of life of the people of PNG. Despite having large energy resources potential, both renewable and non-renewable, such as oil, gas, hydropower, natural gas, geothermal and solar-based power systems, PNG suffers from energy poverty and has one of the lowest per capita consumption ratios of electricity in the world. But the country’s ability to provide electricity to the whole country and its population is constrained by lack of energy generation, transmission and distribution capacities. PNG’s rugged terrain, scattered rural villages,
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
HON. KERENGA KUA , LLB, MP Minister for Petroleum and Energy
I am honoured at this opportunity for my ministry and the Department of Petroleum to publish this report in the new year 2023 for public information, giving a full update about the operations of the petroleum sector in PNG during 2022.
PNG has been blessed with renewable energy resources as well as non-renewable petroleum resources, both are important and both are the responsibility of my ministry. The Department of Petroleum in conjunction with the National Energy Authority (NEA), as the regulator of the energy sector in the country, considers the development of the state’s energy resources to be among its highest priorities. It is committed to the development of these resources in a way that maximises the benefits to the people of PNG, while minimising social, environmental and economic costs. At the same time it recognises the need to develop the country’s energy resources in conjunction with developers including stakeholders. It is known for certain that the importance of energy and energy security cannot be undermined as energy plays a vital role in the social and economic development of a country – energy fuels economic growth, reduces poverty and improves the standards of living and quality of life of the people. Energy is key to industrialisation. To have in place a reliable, efficient and affordable system of energy
customary landownership issues, tribalism and lack of socio- economic development at the village level, among other issues, make it very challenging for Papua New Guineans to be exposed to opportunities to improve their quality of life. This is not an achievement we all want to be proud of nor an excuse to shy away from our responsibilities and obligations but, nevertheless, under my ministry and in line with the Marape-Rosso Government’s policy objectives, the department has taken measures not in a big way but certainly in small ways to understand the challenges and identify the opportunities, where we all can share the responsibility in shaping the industry together while reaping the fruits of our hard work, going forward. Despite the overwhelming challenges, the Government of PNG, under its Electricity Industry Policy (EIP) of 2011, National Energy Policy 2017-2027, Development Strategic Plan 2010-2030 and Vision 2050, has expressed the goal of attaining 70% access by 2030 and 100% access by 2050. On this note, during the 2018 APEC hosted in Port Moresby, Australia
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along with US, New Zealand and Japan pledged to assist the Government of Papua New Guinea to roll out the National Electricity Roll Out Plan (NEROP) to meet its target of 70% of its population connected to electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Though the target is ambitious, with the support of all the stakeholders including PNG Power Ltd, we can slowly but surely get there. To achieve the government target, with the help of the World Bank, under my ministry, we have reformed the the newly established National Energy Authority (NEA). This is part of a wider reform effort to realign with government development targets. The NEA is now performing the economic and technical regulatory functions, which PNG Power Ltd used to perform by licensing from the Independent Consumer Competition Commission (ICCC). Utilising gas from the PNG LNG project as part of the Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) gas, two gas-to-power projects (58MW and 45MW) have been constructed and commissioned since 2019 to provide reliable and affordable power supply to the country, particularly supplying Port Moresby’s grid. To enable gas off-take, the department has granted two pipeline licences to NiuPower and Dirio Gas Power – two local companies, taking gas from the PNG LNG plant, feeding a total of nine gas turbines for power generation. The petroleum sector is one of the key extractive industries in PNG and plays an important role in the development and sustaining of the country’s social and economic welfare. Looking ahead, the Marape Rosso Government’s general policy direction with respect to the petroleum and mining sectors is to reform the current mining and petroleum fiscal regime from the current royalty tax-based concession system to an appropriate production sharing arrangement system. This will involve reform of the Organic Law on Papua New Guinea’s Ownership of Minerals and Petroleum to provide the constitutional basis for resources ownership as well as legislative reform to set out the details of the accepted energy sector – the former Energy Wing under the Department of Petroleum and Energy was reformed to become production sharing arrangement. The government will always consider a balanced approach to the development of its petroleum
resources for investors to make a reasonable return on exploring for and developing oil and gas resources in Papua New Guinea. This message has been made clear by Prime Minister James Marape in his speech at the recent 16th Mining and Petroleum Conference in Sydney on 5th December 2022. To further improve and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative and
regulatory functions of the department, it is moving into a new “National Petroleum Authority”, which will be independent and self- funded by charging a fee-for-service to sustain its operations. This move
"The National Electricity Roll Out Plan (NEROP) has a target of 70% of the population connected to electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2050"
is the intention of the government contained in the Draft Organic Law on Papua New Guinea’s Ownership of Minerals and Petroleum and Commercialisation of State Business 2020. In that law, the National Petroleum Authority is a prominent feature as an independent and self-funded entity, which will charge and collect fees to sustain its operations. The achievements of key results areas (KRAs) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is fully detailed by the Secretary as further discussed in this report. Going forward, our goal is to secure the social and economic wellbeing of the country with energy driving the way to ensure reliable and affordable energy supply, sustained by sustainable development of PNG’s abundant energy resources in a competitive and environmentally sound manner. As stakeholders of this beautiful country, we are all going to be working together over the course of the years in both the petroleum and renewable energy sectors to achieve our desired development goals and aspirations. Thank you,
HON. KERENGA KUA Minister for Petroleum and Energy, MP
FORWARD
Oil production only started at Kutubu and Agogo in 1991 followed by gas production at Hides with the Hides gas-to electricity project in 1992, further followed by South East Gobe, Gobe Main and Moran oil fields in 1998 and LNG production in 2014. PNG still remains a huge exploration potential today, with four of its five petroleum basins largely under-explored as most explorations and discoveries are happening in and around the Papuan Basin. Unlike in the past where there has been a rush in exploration activities, continued interest in the exploration for new oil and gas discoveries remains a bigger challenge for the industry. The department is looking into ways including improving policy environment as well as offering new incentives to attract further interest as the future of the industry remains in unlocking the potential of the under-explored petroleum basins, namely: Cape Vogel Basin, New Ireland Basin, North New Guinea Basin and the Bougainville Basin. The PNG LNG project remains to date one of the biggest capital- intensive investment projects undertaken in the history of the country at a capital investment cost of US$15.7 billion, injecting millions of foreign currencies into the local economy at the time of construction. After eight years of production (from 2014-2022), the PNG LNG project has contributed a total of K16.5 billion to the state coffers. This includes: K7.5 billion to Kumul from the state’s 19.4% equity, K1.3 billion paid to MRDC as equity for project area landowners, K0.8 billion as royalty payment, K0.7 billion development levy payment and K6.2 billion in tax payments. In 2018, according to the PNG EITI Final Report, the extractive sector including mining contributed 89% of PNG’s total exports, mainly
Secretary for Department of Petroleum MR. DAVID MANAU
On behalf of the Minister of Petroleum and Energy Hon. Kerenga Kua, I, as the Secretary of the Department of Petroleum, have great satisfaction in providing this brief update on the current happenings in the petroleum resources sector as well as highlighting the significant role the industry plays in the social and economic development of the country. This report is part of an ongoing campaign to promote the petroleum industry in the country to generate public interest in the industry. Looking back, oil was first discovered at Vailala in Gulf Province in 1911 but commercial discovery was not until the 1980s. The first well commenced drilling at Kariava in Gulf Province in 1941. The discovery of oil has attracted a number of major international oil and gas companies including Oil Search, BP, Chevron and Mobil, all rushing to explore for oil and gas. A number of oil discoveries were made since then including Kutubu in 1986, Agogo in 1989, South East Gobe in 1991, Gobe Main in 1993 and Moran in 1996. The Hides Gas field was discovered in 1987.
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driven by the PNG LNG. Also, the petroleum sector in PNG provides employment and business opportunities to PNG citizens both directly and indirectly, from which the government collects income tax. In addition, the petroleum sector in PNG is a major foreign currency earner and one of the country’s major exports. As part of good corporate citizen obligation, operators are required to build, operate and maintain essential basic services such as roads, schools, clinics and other services in project-impacted communities. I am happy to say the future of the petroleum industry looks very promising with the government of Papua New Guinea signing the US$13 billion Papua LNG Gas Agreement in April 2019 to develop the Elk and Antelope gas fields in the Gulf Province of PNG. The government also signed the US$11 billion P’nyang LNG Gas Agreement in February 2022 to develop the P’nyang gas field in Western Province. The signing of the two gas agreements defines the fiscal framework and paves the way for the commercial development of two mega projects in the country after the successful delivery of the PNG LNG project. The development of these will certainly put PNG on the world map as a major regional LNG player, boosting PNG’s GDP, creating more job opportunities, increasing government revenue and injecting more foreign currency into the local economy in the years to come, while further elevating the country as a friendly foreign investment destination, attracting more interest in the industry. In the last four years, exploration in the petroleum sector has slowed due to the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a number of players leaving the country but it has been slowly picking up with new players also entering the industry. In addition, the shortage of foreign currency in the local economy has adversely affected the industry to some extent as companies struggle to secure enough foreign currency to sustain their operations in the country. The country’s Kutubu oil fields are almost depleted with South East Gobe field planned for decommissioning. With the country’s oil fields depleting, the future of the industry remains in gas production with estimated total recoverable gas reserves (2P) of more than 25 trillion cubic feet of gas (tcf). Out of this, 10 tcf is committed to the PNG LNG project, 6.2 tcf is committed to the Papua LNG project and 4.32 tcf is committed to the P’nyang LNG project. What remains of oil will be condensate production from the gas fields. On the positive side, in line with government policy objectives and directions, the department has carried out and successfully completed a number of work programs and projects while others are still in progress. Some of the key result areas (KRAs) with their performance indicators (KPIs) are listed but not limited to the following: • After exporting the first LNG cargo in 2014, the department has initiated and signed a number of gas agreements including Papua LNG on 9 April 2019 followed by P’nyang LNG1 on 22 February 2022 with Papua LNG mobilising for FEED (front end engineering and design). Pasca A gas-condensate project, which is PNG’s first offshore, is currently in its final stages of negotiations. In addition, Stanley and Elevala Ketu gas fields are under the radar for development; • To ensure the state benefits more from its petroleum resources, the department has been working on the Petroleum National Content Policy. The approval and implementation of the policy will ensure oil and gas companies develop specific Project National Content Plans to be implemented during exploration, construction, development and decommissioning stages of a petroleum project to increase local and national participation in employment, training and skill transfer, and spinoff business opportunities; • We have undertaken and consolidated 3000 plus projects submissions for the Infrastructure Development Grants from landowners from the PNG LNG Project areas (in particular landowners from oil project areas) and sent to Department of National Planning and Monitoring for further verification and recommendations. We have also taken further steps to address the outstanding capped MOAs (Memorandums of Agreement) including other legacy issues. The issues were reconciled and listed in various NEC (National Executive Council) submissions for deliberations and further direction for possible funding allocation; • The department has successfully initiated and completed the LOBID (landowner benefit identification and determination) process for all
PNG LNG project area landowners which was outstanding since 2013. This will ensure that all landowners from PDL (petroleum development licence) to pipeline to facilities will now receive their project benefits (such as royalties) on time without any delay. It ensures project security; • We have initiated and reviewed the licensing process to consolidate, better manage and improve it; • We have initiated and reviewed the fees and charges and the licensing structure to identify new areas in which to increase non-tax revenue in line with directions from the Marape Government. This is also part of the department’s plan to generate its own revenue as a self-funding entity to operate as a statutory regulatory authority; • We have identified and executed a number of key amendments to various sections of the Oil and Gas Act, 1998 to improve, where required, the regulatory regime of the petroleum industry in line with government policy objectives and directions; • To better manage, guide, coordinate and improve the operations of the department, we have taken necessary steps required to draft and complete the Department Corporate Plan in 2019, and; • There are many other in-house projects the department has initiated targeting policy, regulatory and administrative areas to further enhance and improve its operational and administrative functions. Though the industry plays a significant role in the social and economic development and wellbeing of the country, there remain a number of key challenges especially project area landowner issues that require the effort and support of all stake holders including the national government, project areas' provincial governments, project areas' local level governments, and project area landowners. To ensure stability and security of the continuous operations of petroleum projects in the country, all stakeholders must show strong commitment to establish cordial and lasting relationship with project area landowners based on mutual trust. Not only dealing with landowner issues is of concern but the country is part of the global community. Issues such as COVID-19, foreign currency shortage, the Ukraine-Russian war and geopolitical competition between great powers only give rise to an already volatile and unpredictable global economic environment. It requires the effort and commitment of all stakeholders to ensure that the country remains competitive in the global market when it comes to investment in the petroleum sector. We appreciate the Marape-Rosso Government’s will in moving the department into a new National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and migrating the current petroleum regime into a production- sharing regime. As we move into an authority, a major restructure will happen to position the department to adequately address new and existing challenges as well as improving the overall legislative and regulatory environment of the industry. This report provides the general public and stakeholders with a better knowledge of the petroleum sector during the year 2022. And they will come to appreciate the important role the industry plays in the social and economic development and wellbeing of the country.
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