INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
MINERAL MINING INTRODUCTION
IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC
We examine the highly prospective industry of mineral mining within the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin
T
he world’s third largest island county, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is universally acknowledged for its wealth of natural resources. This independent island nation boasts a diverse tapestry of geological landscapes resulting from significant tectonic activity, as relatively recent movements within the Earth’s crust prompted the collision of the northwards-moving Australian Plate with the Pacific Plate, thereby separating the island landmass of PNG from the Australian continent
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in bygone millennia. Today, PNG’s landscapes, comprising jagged limestone, impenetrable lowland rainforests, the towering Central Highlands of the Bismarck Range and fertile volcanic basins, are evidence of this geological movement. Meanwhile, vast deltas and areas of swampy plains are the result of high sediment loads within the Sepik, Ramu, and Fly River systems. This impressive geographical diversity to be witnessed above ground is equalled by the rich
