PNG, a blessed country
source:http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20070504/frhome.htm


PAPUA New Guinea is blessed with rich resources of gold, silver, copper, nickel, oil and natural gas.
Gold production alone ranks PNG with the top seven gold producing nations worldwide and gold with other minerals and oil comprises 24 per cent of national GDP and 70 per cent of export earnings.
Geologists have played a major role in the development of the mineral industry with the painstaking geological mapping of large tracts of country, the investigation of each discovery, the follow-up drilling and modeling that can turn a prospect into a mine, and then the control of grades and estimation of reserves as mining proceeds.
In the earlier days most of the geologists were from Australia and North America. I was one of these. However, the pattern is changing. In recent years the local lads - and lasses - are slowly but surely taking over, in increasing numbers and with heightened levels of responsibility. This is happening not only here in PNG but also overseas.
An exodus to overseas employment that began as a trickle in the 1980s and 1990s has accelerated in the last two-three years to the extent that presently more than 30 PNG geologists are working overseas. The same trend can be seen in mining engineering, where PNG graduates are making their mark on the global scene.
The root cause of the exodus is the worldwide demand for mining industry professionals. This in turn is driven by the rapid industrialisation of China and India, and the failure of our neighbour countries to produce professionals in sufficient numbers. In Australia for example geological education has been allowed to languish: despite Australia’s heavy reliance on the resource industries and excellent tertiary education system, only 100 geologists graduated in 2005. By way of comparison 22 geologists graduated from the University of Papua New Guinea in the same year.
The ready acceptance of the PNG geologists overseas is gratifying for those who have taught them at the University of Papua New Guinea, and an (unwanted) badge of approval for the senior geologists in industry who have shared their expertise and provided on-the-job training in mine geology and exploration, only to see their charges leave for greener pastures.
One of the first to work overseas was Sepik geologist Arnold Sie, who was re-assigned from exploration in PNG to a copper prospect in the South American Andes by Niugini Mining in the 1980s.
In the early 1990s graduates were recruited by the geophysical service companies Baker-Hughes-Intech and Schlumberger to work as mud-loggers and field engineers in Australia and Southeast Asia, as well as in PNG.
This recruitment has continued and some of those with Schlumberger have risen through the ranks: for example Pwapei Minol (Manus) who is based in the Middle East, Henry Aufa (Central) in Australia and Francis Advent (East New Britain) in Malaysia. Susan Nasinom (Morobe) and Marisa Torombe (Southern Highlands) joined Schlumberger in Australia and New Zealand more recently.
Others who are overseas with the petroleum industry include Wilmott Uberawa (Milne Bay) and physics-geology graduate Kila Bale (Bougainville), both with ChevronTexaco, and Roge Kila (Central) who is senior petroleum engineer with Oil Search in Sydney.
A leader of the minerals geologists was Alois Kuk (Western Highlands) who went from Porgera to a mine in Tanzania. He is now chief geologist at the Sadiola Mine in Mali, where he oversees a staff of 18 geologists and an exploration team of 82. Sadiola is in the AngloGold Ashanti stable and produces half a million ounces of gold a year.
Another who has made his mark overseas is Thomas Kunma (Upper Simbu) who was recruited from Mount Kare to join Oromin Exploration in Senegal. Tom is now supervising an exploration and drilling program in Mali.
Elsewhere in Africa Jerry Garry (Simbu) is searching for diamonds in Sierra Leone.
Perhaps the furthest from the wet tropical rainforests of his home country is Kohn Digan (Simbu) who was working in exploration in Mongolia and Siberia but is now back in PNG. His contemporary Kessy Akiro (Eastern Highlands) is exploring in Malaysia.
Other PNG geologists are working in mining and mineral exploration in Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Australia. One is Nelson Joku, who was with Freeport Indonesia at the Grasberg Mine for some years and is now with Minorco-AngloAmerican exploring for base metals in Indonesian Papua.
In Australia, Marie Jamea (Oro and East Sepik) spent several years with Xstrata mines in Mount Isa before moving to the Blackwater coal mine of BHP Billiton - Mitsubishi in Central Queensland. Others in Queensland are Paias Moore Aulakua (Simbu) with Xstrata in Mount Isa and Pedro Joseph (Western Province) with McArthur River lead-zinc mine. Patricia Abaijah (Milne Bay) and Jullyanne Umin (East New Britain) work in the Osborne copper-gold mine south-east of Mount Isa, where the workforce also includes three cartography graduates from Unitech, and Vivien Daniel (East New Britain) is at a property north of Mount Isa.
Further south, Jim Ged is exploring copper porphyry systems in New South Wales.
Nicky Yandowai (Southern Highlands) and Mannie Mehu (Mortlock Islands) are working in the iron ore mines of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and compatriot Adrian Nanguromo (East Sepik) is a supervising geologist with Rio Tinto Iron Ore based in Perth. Another working in iron ore is Simon Urgine (Simbu) at the Iron Duke mine in South Australia. Peter Tamaduk (East New Britain) was with Hamersley Iron in Western Australia for four years and is now working in uranium with Energy Resources of Australia in the Northern Territory.
Fortunately for the PNG mining industry there are experienced geologists who have not been lured away by the attraction of overseas conditions.
Among these are John Kopana (Bougainville) who is in charge of grade control at the Lihir mine, and John Reef Robinson (New Ireland) who is in charge of ore reserves.

Congratulations all, its inspirational and motivating to hear about all the PNG geologist been employed overseas. Keep up the good Job and keep assisting with Western Union... :)

GeoME

Congratulation!!! it was a honor to know some of you. Keep in touch all. BTW, poet n pberri, mi no lukim name blo upla...just kidding!...all the best, and takecare.

Wanbel!

Accolades to the Geologist, with this achievements you have done well for yourself, careers and PNG.

LOL@ VB...please eye or button na no lukim eheheeee....