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Papua New Guinea and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding trade, investment and sustainable development cooperation, with more than 300 participants from PNG and Europe gathering in Port Moresby for the 5th EU–PNG Business Forum. Held at the Hilton Port Moresby Hotel & Residences on June 2–3 under the theme “The EU Global Gateway for Sustainable Investment, Connectivity and Growth in Papua New Guinea,” the forum brought together government officials, private sector representatives, financial institutions, development partners and investors to explore new business opportunities and strengthen economic ties. Representatives from 77 companies, including 23 European firms, attended the event, which facilitated more than 170 business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) meetings aimed at fostering long-term commercial partnerships and identifying new investment opportunities. Opening the forum, Prime Minister James Marape outlined his vision for sustainable and inclusive development, encouraging European and Papua New Guinean businesses to work together and “grow together” through partnerships that create jobs, stimulate investment, transfer technology and improve livelihoods. Marape reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to maintaining a stable and predictable environment for responsible investment and private sector growth, emphasizing that Papua New Guinea remains open for business and ready to unlock its economic potential through international partnerships. The forum also served as a platform for PNG and the European Union to reaffirm their shared commitment to sustainable investment, economic cooperation and private sector-led development. Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Sir Ano Pala described the European Union as a trusted strategic partner that has supported Papua New Guinea’s development over many years. He joined other senior leaders in stressing the importance of attracting quality investments that contribute to long-term national development. European Union Ambassador to Papua New Guinea H.E. Erika Hasznos said the forum reflected a shared commitment to building a prosperous and sustainable Indo-Pacific region while translating political cooperation into tangible business outcomes. “This Forum is about our shared vision of an open, sustainable and prosperous Indo-Pacific; about translating political commitments into bankable projects; and about building long-term, high-quality partnerships between European and PNG businesses,” Ambassador Hasznos said. A key outcome of the forum was the signing of a new Global Gateway investment under the Water Wise Communities Project, which aims to improve water security and climate resilience across Papua New Guinea. Under the agreement, the European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a concessional loan of €25 million (approximately PGK126 million), supported by a €16.4 million (approximately PGK83 million) grant from the European Union. The project is expected to expand access to reliable drinking water for an additional 400,000 people while strengthening urban sustainability and resilience to climate-related challenges. Peteris Ustubs, Director for Asia, Central Asia and the Pacific at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), said Papua New Guinea remains an important partner in the European Union’s Indo-Pacific strategy. He said PNG’s strategic location, abundant natural resources and commitment to sustainable development make it a key destination for future investment under the Global Gateway initiative. Throughout the two-day event, discussions focused on priority sectors including renewable energy, water security, digital transformation, connectivity, sustainable extractive industries and agricultural value chains. Participants also attended practical sessions on exporting to the European Union market and conducting business in PNG, while masterclasses provided guidance on compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The programme included site visits to selected Global Gateway-supported projects in and around Port Moresby. According to the European Union, the forum was designed to identify new trade and investment opportunities, strengthen strategic partnerships and leverage Global Gateway financing and technical support to support sustainable economic growth in Papua New Guinea. The event highlighted the growing economic relationship between PNG and the European Union, which is valued at more than K5 billion annually. Papua New Guinea was the first Pacific nation to ratify the EU–Pacific Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) in 2011 and continues to benefit from duty-free and quota-free access to the European single market. The European Union is now PNG’s fourth-largest export destination. Ahead of the forum, approximately 400 participants, including more than 40 representatives from European companies, had registered to attend. Speaking during a media conference before the event, Ambassador Hasznos said the European Union intended to use the forum both to facilitate business connections and to showcase major infrastructure and investment projects being delivered through the Global Gateway strategy in partnership with the PNG Government. “As part of the Business Forum, the European Union will present itself as a developer of major upcoming infrastructure and investment projects under the Global Gateway strategy, while facilitating business-to-business and business-to-government contacts,” she said. National Trade Office Chief Trade Officer Richard Yakam said PNG’s participation in the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement reflects the country’s commitment to sustainable growth and economic diversification. “The EU Global Gateway initiative complements these efforts by enhancing connectivity and attracting investments. PNG remains dedicated to strengthening its partnerships with the European Union and translating trade agreements into tangible development outcomes for our people and our future,” Yakam said. Investment Promotion Authority Managing Director Clarence M. Hoot said European interest in Papua New Guinea has continued to grow since the inaugural PNG-EU business conference in 2019. “We have witnessed the growing interest of European businesses and investors establishing a presence in PNG, and we stand ready to facilitate further opportunities following this forum,” Hoot said. The forum was organised by the European Union in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), in cooperation with the Government of Papua New Guinea, particularly the National Trade Office, the Investment Promotion Authority and the PNG-Europe Business Council. A high-level plenary session brought together representatives from the European Commission, the PNG Government, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, the International Trade Centre and private sector leaders to discuss opportunities for sustainable investment, trade and economic cooperation. At the closing ceremony, Minister for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko said the forum demonstrated how relations between Papua New Guinea and the European Union have evolved beyond traditional development assistance into a broader strategic partnership. He said the event strengthened business connections while reinforcing cooperation based on mutual respect, shared values and common development goals. The forum concluded with a renewed commitment by both sides to deepen cooperation under the Global Gateway Strategy, promote responsible resource development, strengthen trade and investment linkages, and expand economic opportunities for Papua New Guineans. Since its launch in 2011, the EU–PNG Business Forum has served as a key platform for strengthening economic ties, encouraging sustainable investment and expanding trade relations between Papua New Guinea and the European Union. Following the regional Pacific Business Forum held in Fiji in 2025, this year’s edition focused exclusively on Papua New Guinea and the opportunities available to PNG and European businesses through the Global Gateway Strategy. Through Global Gateway, the European Union supports sustainable investments in digital connectivity, energy, transport, water security, health, education and research, while mobilising public and private sector financing to advance inclusive and sustainable development in partner countries, including Papua New Guinea.

K92 Mining has reported further high-grade drilling results from its Arakompa discovery near the Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea, expanding the AR1 high-grade zone and delineating what the company described as a substantial near-surface high-grade bulk tonnage zone ahead of a maiden resource estimate planned for mid-2026. The company announced results from 33 additional surface diamond drill holes, bringing the total number of holes released to date from its maiden drill programme at Arakompa to 100. The prospect is located approximately 4.5 kilometres from the Kainantu Gold Mine process plant. According to K92, all drill holes intersected mineralisation, with 40 intersections exceeding 5 grams per tonne gold equivalent, or AuEq, and 20 intersections exceeding 10 g/t AuEq. The latest drilling expanded the AR1 high-grade vein zone, which is now defined over up to 300 metres of vertical extent and up to 400 metres of strike length, starting at a depth of about 100 metres. Within the zone, the weighted average grade is 9.47 g/t AuEq across an average true width of 4.32 metres. Among the reported highlights, hole KARDD0076 intersected 11.90 metres grading 14.30 g/t AuEq, including 1.70 metres at 92.43 g/t AuEq, while hole KARDD0106 returned 10.00 metres grading 15.21 g/t AuEq, including 4.00 metres at 36.65 g/t AuEq. Hole KARDD0100 intersected 16.50 metres grading 8.06 g/t AuEq, including 3.00 metres at 18.03 g/t AuEq. The company also reported multiple high-grade intercepts from the AR2 vein, including 4.70 metres grading 41.90 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0084G and 6.80 metres grading 15.21 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0104, including 2.00 metres at 49.00 g/t AuEq. K92 said drilling has also confirmed and expanded a near-surface high-grade bulk zone. Notable intersections included 49.30 metres grading 1.95 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0091 and 140.10 metres grading 1.27 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0106. Both holes are located about 60 metres from previously reported hole 005AD92, which returned 41.9 metres at 2.21 g/t AuEq. The company said increased drill density has improved confidence in geological continuity while highlighting the potential for grade profile upgrades through both infill and step-out drilling. Surface sampling has also indicated that mineralisation extends to surface along Arakompa's known strike length of more than two kilometres. Additional broad mineralised intersections reported from the bulk-tonnage zone included 99.00 metres grading 2.90 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0076, 105.40 metres grading 2.26 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0084G, 106.50 metres grading 2.22 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0090 and 163.50 metres grading 1.02 g/t AuEq in hole KARDD0104. The company also reported progress from porphyry vector drilling following the previously announced discovery hole KARDD0065. The latest results intersected intervals of outer potassic alteration, which K92 said provide an important vector towards a potential high-grade potassic core. Hole KARDD0077 returned 1,151.20 metres grading 0.30% copper equivalent, while hole KARDD0093G returned 800.70 metres grading 0.33% copper equivalent and hole KARDD0074 intersected 494.00 metres grading 0.35% copper equivalent. K92 said a second drill rig is being allocated to the porphyry target and is expected to commence drilling shortly. Chief Executive Officer John Lewins said the latest results represented another step towards the planned maiden resource estimate. “The latest results from Arakompa represent another important step in advancing the discovery towards a maiden resource estimate planned for mid-2026,” Lewins said. “Drilling continues to demonstrate a large, near-surface mineralized system, highlighted by the significant expansion and improved continuity of the AR1 high-grade zone and the delineation of a substantial high-grade bulk tonnage zone. Increased drill density is enhancing our geological confidence while also highlighting the potential for grade profile upgrades through ongoing infill and step-out drilling.” Lewins said surface sampling indicated that mineralisation extends to surface along Arakompa's known strike length, reinforcing what he described as significant exploration upside. “Arakompa is increasingly emerging as one of the most significant exploration successes in the Kainantu district in recent years, and we look forward to providing further updates as drilling continues,” he said. Vice President of Exploration Robert Smillie said drilling continued to demonstrate both the scale of the system and exploration upside across the broader corridor. “Additionally, an exciting aspect of the latest results is the growing evidence for a potential porphyry system to the south, which could represent a significant new exploration opportunity within the district,” Smillie said. “We are excited by the latest drill results that provide valuable vectoring towards a potential high-grade porphyry core.”

Prime Minister James Marape on 4 June led a high-level government delegation to Kikori in Gulf Province to inspect the proposed venue for the Papua LNG Development Forum and consult local leaders ahead of the anticipated gathering next month. Joining Marape on the visit were Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta, Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina and Finance Minister Thomas Opa. The prime minister said the visit would enable the national government to engage directly with provincial leaders, landowners and other stakeholders on preparations for the Development Forum, a key milestone in the progression of the Papua LNG project. "We're heading out to Kikori to discuss the Development Forum with the Gulf leadership. We'll take advice from the Gulf leadership as to what to do as we begin discussions in Kikori," Marape said. He said the visit was important given the national significance of the Papua LNG project and the need for all stakeholders to have a common understanding of the proposed forum venue and associated infrastructure requirements. Marape described Papua LNG as one of Papua New Guinea's most important economic development opportunities and a cornerstone of the country's long-term growth strategy. He said a final investment decision on the project would help underpin a sustained pipeline of petroleum developments over the coming decade, including Papua LNG, P'nyang, Pasca A and other future energy projects. "These projects will provide long-term construction activity, production opportunities, employment and revenue for Papua New Guinea," he said. "We're looking at the next 10 to 15 years as a period of sustained energy sector activity, not only in construction but also in long-term production and economic growth." The prime minister said the country's economy continued to benefit from major resource developments, particularly in the oil and gas sector, while non-resource industries, led by agriculture, remained important contributors to economic growth. He noted that the non-mining and petroleum sector had recorded growth of about 4%, driven largely by agriculture, which remains the primary source of livelihood for most Papua New Guineans. Marape reiterated his government's commitment to increasing national participation in resource projects and securing a larger share of benefits for the state and citizens. "Our government is predominantly known for the principle that we are fighting to take back more benefits for our country," he said. "This Pangu Administration has made it absolutely clear that we will not compromise on ensuring the State secures around or above 55% of the total benefit from our major resource projects." He pointed to the New Porgera agreement as an example of the government's approach and thanked resource developers and investors for supporting its objectives through negotiations conducted within existing legal frameworks. Marape acknowledged that significant socio-economic challenges remained but said the government had maintained its focus on economic growth, greater local participation and improved returns from the country's natural resources. He said major projects such as Papua LNG and the Wafi-Golpu copper-gold project would generate additional government revenue, strengthen foreign exchange reserves and create long-term opportunities for Papua New Guineans. "We get Papua LNG and Wafi-Golpu online and get more revenue into the country and ensure our foreign reserves improve for the Government, landowners and developers," he said. The prime minister also highlighted ongoing petroleum exploration activity, including plans for a deep-water drilling vessel to commence exploration between Central Province and the maritime area of Western Province. Marape said Papua New Guinea had built a strong reputation as a reliable energy producer, noting that oil exports from the Kumul Marine Terminal had continued uninterrupted since 1990 and LNG exports since 2014. "PNG has maintained a strong reputation as a dependable energy producer," he said. "You have wars and conflicts in other parts of the world, but PNG's Kumul Marine Terminal in Gulf Province has not missed an export shipment since 1990, and the PNG LNG export facility has maintained uninterrupted exports since 2014." Marape recently met TotalEnergies Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanné in Paris to discuss Papua LNG and future investment opportunities in the country. According to the prime minister, Pouyanné reaffirmed the company's confidence in Papua New Guinea and its commitment to future oil and gas investment. The Papua LNG project remains one of the government's highest development priorities and is being advanced by the state in partnership with project operator TotalEnergies and its joint venture partners. The Development Forum, required under the Oil and Gas Act 1998, will bring together landowners, provincial governments and the state to negotiate benefit-sharing arrangements and discuss implementation issues ahead of future project milestones. The upstream development is expected to include nine production wells, a gas processing facility, water injection infrastructure and carbon dioxide reinjection facilities. Project partners have selected a development concept featuring three electric LNG liquefaction trains integrated with existing LNG infrastructure at Caution Bay, a design intended to reduce the project's carbon footprint while supporting long-term economic growth. The project is expected to generate employment, business opportunities, government revenue and long-term benefits for landowners, Gulf Province, Central Province and the broader Papua New Guinea economy.

The Sepik Development Project (SDP) continues to record strong progress in stakeholder engagement while expanding employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans, with a clear focus on benefiting communities in the Sepik region. Project representatives from the community affairs team, whose dedicated role is to meet with and listen to local communities, recently visited near-mine communities, including those in the Upper Sepik, where they held constructive engagement sessions about project plans and new opportunities. The consultative engagement is part of an ongoing schedule of positive engagement with landowners, local communities, government agencies, and other key stakeholders, reflecting the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership, and responsible resource development. Country Manager Dr Joel Hamago said the strength of stakeholder relationships established to date demonstrates the Project’s long-term commitment to Papua New Guinea. “We are encouraged by the collaborative approach we are seeing on the ground, and we remain committed to open dialogue and mutual respect as the Project progresses,” Dr Hamago said. “Meaningful engagement with our host communities, based on transparency and accurate information, is central to how we operate.” Dr Hamago called on opponents of the Project to adopt the same commitment to accuracy and honesty in their actions. “It is disappointing to see a recent media publication where Project Sepik continues to misrepresent the outcome of the SDP’s recent engagement with Sepik communities via the OECD’s AusNCP referral process, where an independent examiner confirmed our compliance with OECD guidelines in relation to stakeholder engagement on this project.” Dr Hamago said community engagement activities would continue. “While we have had an overwhelmingly positive response from communities, which value the level of engagement and the future opportunities from the Development, we understand that many people still have concerns and questions, which is why we will continue to listen as we consult with them." Employment Growth and Opportunities for Sepik Communities As activities continue to advance, the Sepik Development Project has opened a number of new employment opportunities across various roles, which are currently advertised on the Project’s official LinkedIn page. In line with the Project’s localisation strategy, priority will be given to suitably qualified applicants from the Sepik region, ensuring local communities are directly involved in and benefit from Project development. “Our employment strategy is deliberately focused on local participation,” Dr Hamago said. “Wherever possible, we want people from the Sepik to take up these roles, gain valuable skills, and become part of the Project’s journey from the early stages.” Supporting PNG’s Local and National Content Agenda The Sepik Development Project strongly supports the Papua New Guinea Government’s drive to increase local and national content within major resource developments. Through targeted recruitment, training, and skills development, the Project aims to create sustainable employment outcomes and contribute to long-term national capacity building. “This Project is about more than just mining. It is also an infrastructure project with rippling opportunities,” Dr Hamago said. “It is about building capability, supporting PNG talent, and ensuring that Papua New Guineans are well positioned to participate meaningfully in major developments, both now and into the future.” How to Apply Interested applicants are encouraged to view current vacancies and application details via the Frieda River Limited LinkedIn page. Applicants should carefully review role requirements and ensure their qualifications and experience align with the advertised positions. The Frieda River Project will continue to provide regular updates on stakeholder engagement, employment opportunities, and Project milestones. Frieda River Limited is the proponent of the Sepik Development Project (SDP) in Papua New Guinea. The SDP comprises four integrated components: the Sepik Infrastructure Project (SIP), the Frieda River Copper-Gold Project (FRCGP), the Frieda River Hydroelectric Project (FRHEP), and the Sepik Power Grid Project (SPGP). The Project is designed to deliver enabling infrastructure, including power generation and transmission, road access, airport and port facilities, supported through private investment. During operations, the SDP is expected to create approximately 2,500 direct jobs, with a target of 93 per cent national employment, and generate more than 30,000 indirect employment opportunities. The Project incorporates engineered tailings and water management systems, as well as a hydroelectric power solution intended to reduce operational emissions and support environmental management objectives, including protection of the Sepik River system. Frieda River Limited is a significant subsidiary of the PanAust Limited Group. Along with pre-development opportunities in Papua New Guinea operations, PanAust Limited also owns Phu Bia Mining, an award-winning dual operation in Laos, and has development opportunities in Chile. An Australian-incorporated company, PanAust is owned by Guangdong Rising H.K. (Holding) Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guangdong Rising Holding Group Co., Ltd. (GDRH). GDRH is a Chinese state-owned company regulated under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province in China.

Papua New Guinea’s state investment arm, Kumul Consolidated Holdings, or KCH, is set to acquire shares in Ramu Agri Industries Limited, or RAI, as part of a proposed partnership aimed at expanding agribusiness operations in the country. International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru said on Thursday that the state’s independent valuation of RAI would be completed next week ahead of the planned share acquisition. “We will have two investors from the private sector who will partner the State through KCH in buying shares into RAI,” Maru said in Port Moresby. RAI is a subsidiary of the New Britain Palm Oil Group, or NBPOL, which is wholly owned by Malaysian company SD Guthrie. Maru described NBPOL as one of Papua New Guinea’s largest private-sector operators, with activities spanning five provinces and more than 92,000 hectares of planted oil palm. “The NBPOL Group currently operates across five provinces in the country and manages over 92,000 hectares of planted oil palm,” he said. “It has a workforce of over 20,000 directly employed Papua New Guineans and also supports thousands of smallholder farmers, suppliers, and service providers who are connected to its operations.” Maru said the proposed joint venture between the state and NBPOL would be used to expand RAI operations into the Sepik Plains through a new subsidiary focused initially on cattle and palm oil development in Urimo. “The Government has released K10 million for the immediate update of the Kusaun to Urimo Road,” he said. “This project will be launched on Monday, June 15.” Maru said the partnership reflected the government’s broader strategy of working with the private sector in strategic industries rather than directly operating commercial businesses. “This is a very exciting journey as we partner the private sector to venture into strategic businesses knowing that the State is not competent in running businesses,” he said. Meanwhile, NBPOL management raised concerns over the capacity of the existing Wewak wharf, saying shallow water levels could limit future shipping operations and the handling of larger vessels.

Papua New Guinea has launched a $63.4 million climate finance project aimed at protecting its forests while supporting sustainable livelihoods for communities across the country. Funded by the Green Climate Fund, the results-based payments program recognizes Papua New Guinea's verified reduction of 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2014 and 2016 under the REDD+ framework. The initiative was officially launched at APEC Haus in Port Moresby and is expected to channel a significant share of climate finance directly to local communities while strengthening sustainable forest management and conservation efforts. Papua New Guinea, which has approximately 78% forest cover, is regarded as one of the world's most forest-rich nations. Its forests play an important role in biodiversity conservation and carbon storage, making them critical to global climate mitigation efforts. A key feature of the project is its focus on community development. According to project officials, 60% of the funding will be directed toward livelihood activities, including sustainable agriculture, forest conservation and other low-emission development initiatives. Ronald Meketa, chairman of the National Climate Change Board, said the funding must deliver tangible benefits to communities. "Our communities will see and feel the benefits of this funding," Meketa said during the launch. "Too often, large amounts of climate finance are discussed globally, but very little reaches the people on the ground. Papua New Guinea cannot afford that anymore. The hard reset starts today. This programme must become a model of delivery, accountability and visible results." Debra Sungi, acting managing director of the Climate Change and Development Authority, said the project marks the culmination of years of technical work and coordination among government agencies, provinces, landowners and development partners. "This represents many years of consultations, technical assistance, and coordination across government, provinces, landowners, and development partners," Sungi said. "Today, we move from discussion and planning to on-the-ground delivery." The project will be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in partnership with the Climate Change and Development Authority and other national stakeholders. It will also support implementation of Papua New Guinea's National REDD+ Strategy 2017–2027 while strengthening coordination, monitoring and reporting systems. FAO Head of Office in Papua New Guinea, Kachen Wongsathapornchai, said the launch marks Papua New Guinea's transition from REDD+ readiness to large-scale implementation. "Papua New Guinea has played an important role in shaping global forest and climate systems, and now stands among the few countries ready to operationalise results-based finance at scale," he said. Meanwhile, Shalini Bahuguna, said the project demonstrates how climate action can generate broader development outcomes. "Papua New Guinea is demonstrating how climate ambition can translate into real development outcomes," Bahuguna said. The initiative reinforces Papua New Guinea's position in global climate action efforts while providing new opportunities for rural communities to benefit from sustainable development and forest conservation activities.

Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has played a critical role in supporting Papua New Guinea’s rural economy and national development through its aviation services over the past 75 years, according to Civil Aviation Minister Wake Goi. Speaking during MAF’s 75th anniversary thanksgiving service in Mount Hagen, Western Highlands Province, on 7 May 2026, Minister Goi described MAF as “a lifeline to the most remote and isolated communities across our country.” He said that, in a nation defined by rugged terrain and limited road infrastructure, the organisation had “consistently bridged the gap, bringing hope, connection, and opportunity where it is needed most.” The Minister said MAF’s services extended beyond aviation operations, highlighting its role in transporting medical supplies, assisting vulnerable patients, supporting education services, and delivering essential goods to rural communities. “Your contributions in airlifting medical supplies, transporting the sick and vulnerable, supporting education services, and enabling the delivery of essential goods have transformed countless lives,” he said. Minister Goi also highlighted the organisation’s contribution to rural economic participation, saying MAF had helped connect farmers and small businesses to markets, allowing communities to engage more meaningfully in national development. “MAF’s role in connecting rural farmers and small businesses to markets has also strengthened local economies, empowering communities to participate meaningfully in national development,” he said. “This is not merely aviation; it is nation-building at its most practical and compassionate level.” He acknowledged MAF as a strategic partner in supporting the mandates of the Rural Airstrips Agency (RAA), saying its continued operations complemented government efforts to maintain and expand rural airstrip infrastructure across the country. “As Minister for Civil Aviation, I also acknowledge MAF as a key strategic partner in advancing the mandates of the Rural Airstrips Agency,” he said. “Your continued operations complement government efforts to maintain and expand rural airstrip infrastructure, ensuring that no community is left behind.” Minister Goi also recognised MAF’s long-standing support for churches and Christian missions in Papua New Guinea, saying the organisation had contributed significantly to strengthening faith, hope and unity in remote communities. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working alongside MAF to improve aviation services and expand access to rural populations. “May the next 75 years of MAF’s service be even more impactful, as together we build a more connected, inclusive and prosperous Papua New Guinea,” he said.

   Petroleum Resource Development Michael McWalter writes about petroleum development in its widest sense and the finding and extraction of oil and gas resources from the ground to sell them to make money, provide energy and feedstock, and the various roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and their inter-relationships. What is Petroleum Development? In broad terms, petroleum development is the overall process of finding, extracting, and refining oil and gas from the Earth, often collectively called petroleum, or otherwise hydrocarbons, though this latter term includes coal. Sometimes, we more strictly reserve the term petroleum for crude oil which derives from combining the Latin words petra meaning rock and oleum meaning oil, hence rock oil. But oil scarcely ever comes without some contained or associated gaseous hydrocarbons, which are often termed natural gas, or simply gas. Some fields contain mainly gas and just a few of what we call wetter (liquid) hydrocarbons, which we can extract from the gas such as condensate and natural gas liquids. Papua New Guinea has some oil, but considerably more gas. Figure 1: A typical black crude oil, after Wikipedia. Figure 2: Natural gas burning on a stove; natural gas is colourless, but in the right proportion with air, it will burn at high temperatures causing ionisation of the molecules and blue light emission, after Freepic. Once extracted, these substances have many uses, primarily as a source of energy, but also importantly as feedstock for the petrochemical industry. Oil and gas thus have very useful economic value, so we regard them as a resource which has a market price once they are extracted, processed and made ready and available for sale to customers. Petroleum resource development involves a complex and expensive process of exploration, drilling, discovery and appraisal, development and production, followed by the refining of the produced petroleum fluids, classically by distillation and other processes to make specification petroleum products with which we are all familiar. In the case of oil, these are typically: gasoline (petrol); kerosene; jet fuel; diesel; heating oil; solvents; lubricants; asphalt; and paraffin wax. Whilst for gas these are typically: reticulated gas; LPG (liquid petroleum gas) or bottled gas; and piped natural gas or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for the long-distance transportation of natural gas. There are also other products, which we seldom see, such as heavy fuel oil, or which serve as intermediate feedstocks, such as: naphtha; ethane and propane. Figure 3: Typical products from crude oil, after Secondary Science 4 All.    It All Begins with Exploration  Exploration is an exhaustive, expensive and often high technology process. It is predicated on the essential and necessary ingredients being present that may have helped the rock strata and its contents to form gaseous and/or liquid accumulations in the subterranean rocks of the Earth. The process develops over millions of years as that organic matter contained in the rock strata under successive layers of overburden rock is transformed by heat and pressure into oil and gas. The ingredients in that process are:  an organically rich source rock which, when deeply buried and heated, generates petroleum; the movement by dint of buoyancy of that generated petroleum from the source rocks through rock strata until it is caught and trapped in a reservoir, rather than leaked to the surface; a reservoir rock that has not only sufficient porosity (space between its grains) to contain that petroleum, but adequate connection between those pore spaces to permit that petroleum to flow if tapped by a well drilled into the reservoir; a closure or trap formed by the structural configuration of the rock strata that either through folding, faulting or stratigraphic pinch-out defines a place within which petroleum may accumulate; and  a seal or containment that acts as a barrier to the upward flow of petroleum created by impermeable rocks and structures which prevents further upward movement and escape of the petroleum. Figure 4: The essential ingredients for the formation of conventional petroleum accumulations, after AAPG.  Papua New Guinea as a Petroleum Province Papua New Guinea is not short of any of these ingredients. Indeed, the geology of Papua New Guinea is quite conducive to creating accumulations of petroleum, but all the essential ingredients have to be found in the correct sequence and occur at the right time. Accumulations also have to contain significant petroleum resources that may make their exploitation worthwhile, and can deliver what we call recoverable reserves. In Papua New Guinea, we have many surface seeps of oil and gas across the country, which provide evidence of the generation of petroleum in the subsurface, and its migration and seepage to the surface in discrete places. Whilst such seepages indicate the presence of oil and gas, they also show that it is leaking to the surface. Oil and gas men look for accumulations that have been preserved intact deep in the rock strata, without such leakage, into which they may drill deep wells to tap the oil and gas in quantity, if they can find some. We have obvious and abundant folding and faulting of rocks and the right kind of rocks, both permeable and porous sandstones and limestones to serve as reservoirs, and abundant mudstones and shales to serve as sources and seals. The critical question is specifically where to look for a petroleum accumulation. Figure 5: An active gas seep of methane, ethane, propane and butane from the seabed identified during the survey of the MV Sonne, off Lihir Island, New Ireland Britain, after Brandl, P.A., Sander, S.G., Beier, C. et al. Sci Rep 15, 32389 (2025).   The Value of Petroleum  Oil and gas are not like gold. A barrel of crude oil, which is approximately 159 litres, currently (as of late February 2026) sells for about US$ 65, or PGK 278, or about US 40 cents per litre, or PGK 1.75 per litre.  A litre of crude oil is not going to make you rich, whereas a litre volume of gold would weigh a staggering 19.3 kgs (equivalent to 620 troy ounces) and be valued at an equally staggering amount of US$ 3.1 million or PGK 13.4 million at a gold price of US$ 5,000 per troy ounce. The petroleum business is a very different game to that of the gold business. A small surface seepage of natural gas or oil is scarcely of any value, and more a local curiosity.  The discovery of an accumulation of oil and gas thus has to be large and extensive to make it worthy of future development and recovery. Accordingly, oilmen select their exploration prospects, for what we term wildcat drilling, most rigorously and carefully. Wildcat drilling is high-risk exploration for oil and gas in unproven, unmapped, or abandoned areas lacking, or far from, existing oil and gas production, often without any historic discovery or prior production. Oilmen screen the geology of an area for the necessary ingredients (described above) and particularly for large geological structures that may potentially contain significant volumes of oil and/or gas, if such have indeed accumulated in their target structure. Figure 6: Oil and money, but at just US$ 65 per barrel, only large scale production can normally cover the costs of finding and extracting it.       Oil production from a field, from which say, 100 million barrels of crude oil can be recovered, might at a crude oil price of US$ 65 per barrel have a sales value of US$ 6.5 billion, but not all of that can go into the oil man’s pocket. For example, it might have taken five wells to make the discovery and a further five wells to appraise the lateral extent of the field and another thirty wells from which the oil may be recovered. These forty wells might have cost an average of US$ 25 million each, making discovery and appraisal costs about US$ 1 billion. The development of the field will require field processing facilities to clean up the oil to acceptable standards and specifications to make it fit for transportation, and likely a pipeline or set of pipelines to convey the oil to a terminal at which ocean-going oil tankers can load the crude oil for export. This may cost another US$ 1.5 billion. And then there are operating costs. To run an oil field and produce the crude oil safely, responsibly and prudently, there are daily operating expenses for manpower, machinery and materials. These may amount to US$ 100 million per year for twenty years. As you can see, the prize of finding the oil field is shrinking. And then the Government will want to ensure it is getting its agreed and defined share of its resource as the owner, typically at least 50% or more of the net value. One can see quite readily how the revenue arising from the 100 million barrels is whittled down. The oil companies might retain US$ 1 billion from this enterprise after recovering their costs, whilst the host government might make a similar amount. Naturally, each and every petroleum project has a different set of reserves, costs, and outcomes. Satisfying basic economics that the recovery of oil from the field is viable is the primary concern, and then having a firm and fair arrangement for the sharing of the net value of the produced petroleum is most desirable. Exploration and Discovery Risk The drilling of exploration wells only comes after extensive and expensive exploration surveys by geologists and geophysicists studying the rocks and their configuration at the surface and probing the subsurface with a variety of geophysical techniques. The most common geophysical technique deployed is the acquisition of seismic images of the subsurface, a bit like an ultrasound scan might be made of your stomach by a doctor, though on a vastly larger scale. Sound waves are sent into the ground, or the sea, if exploration is being conducted offshore, and the reflections from the layers of rocks are detected by a multitude of special microphones called geophones. The jumble of signals is organised and processed by elaborate computer programmes so as to create a layer-cake image of the configuration or structure of the subsurface rock strata. Knowing the velocity of sound through the rocks, the geophysicists can interpret these images of the subsurface and make depth maps of potential trapping structures. It is a tedious and expensive process which is not at all easy in the jungle-wrapped, mountainous and often swampy terrains of much of Papua New Guinea. Combined with surface geological descriptions of the visible outcrops of rocks and their faulting and folding, the petroleum geologist will attempt to define leads and prospects which may be promoted for wildcat drilling. Already in this process, tens of millions of dollars will have been spent on physical surveys, data processing and geophysical and geological interpretation. Figure 7:  A seismic reflection image of part of the Gulf of Papua called the Flinders Basin showing the underlying subtle faulting and folding of the strata, after PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum.    The company then has to evaluate its portfolio of prospects, both within the country in which it is exploring and globally, and make a choice as to which prospects in which countries it will prioritise and commit to drilling. It does this on a risked basis and then applies the economics of the applicable national petroleum regimes to make an assessment as to whether it might be possible to make money. It is always a risky business, akin to making an expensive movie, which may be a success or a failure. Some liken it to gambling in a casino, because of the intrinsic uncertainty of the subsurface geological history. However, oil and gas companies shrewdly assess all the risks involved. Drilling the Ultimate Gamble There are fundamental geological risks as to whether an accumulation of petroleum may be present within a prospect. Alas, the only way to find out whether a prospect contains oil and/or gas is to drill the prospect. The chance of discovering oil and gas depends much on the type of well, with success rates for wildcat exploration wells typically ranging from 10–20% in new frontier areas to a global average of between 30–40%. Approximately 60–70% of initial exploration wells fail to find accumulations with quantities adequate for commercial development and production. In known petroliferous areas and where development drilling is taking place near to or on known accumulations, the success rate can be as high as 80% to 90%. Those petroleum provinces in well-established producing nations thus present much less risk than hitherto undrilled provinces where little or no drilling has previously taken place. Figure 8: A drilling rig in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, after PNG Business News.    The risk of discovery is skewed by perceptions of the host nation’s petroleum endowment, and so the host Government necessarily has to adjust its terms and conditions of petroleum development up or down depending on the likelihood of discovery. Drilling a wildcat well in the Seychelles, where only four wells have previously been drilled without success**,** is a very different game from drilling a wildcat well in Libya**,** where more than 1,500 wells have been drilled over the last 70 years with more than 500 oil and gas discoveries. Hence, the Government of the Seychelles might have to offer the most attractive terms to encourage the international oil and gas companies to explore in its territory rather than in other perhaps more petroliferous places. In Papua New Guinea, the total number of real wildcat wells is less than 275 spread out over the last hundred years. The Wohumul boreholes were drilled in the Oriomo River area of the Western Province, near Daru in 1925; these were shallow tests. The first deep well in Papua New Guinea was drilled at Kariava-1 in the Gulf Province. Interestingly, this well was spudded on 8th March 1941, suspended in 1942 due to World War II**,** and resumed drilling in 1946 before being abandoned in 1948. Exploration for oil in Papua New Guinea is not a new game; it has taken place for decades with tantalising results that have taunted many an oilman. It was only in 1986 that significant success was obtained at the Iagifu 2-X well when Niugini Gulf Oil, which became part of the Chevron Corporation as Chevron Niugini, found a significant accumulation of black oil near Lake Kutubu**,** which gave rise to the Kutubu Petroleum Development Project in 1990. Hitherto, nothing of commercial significance had been found and no development or production of oil and gas had been commercially undertaken. To date, Papua New Guinea has discovered oil and gas in dozens of prospects**,** at least half of which have been made the subject of development and production operations recovering both crude oil and natural gas in commercial quantities. Figure 9: Oil and Gas Reserves of Papua New Guinea, after Manau, August 2021 modified.      Factors Affecting Petroleum Development Finding an accumulation of oil and/or gas is a great feeling for the oilman, but unless the volume of the accumulation is large enough to be commercially exploited by development and production operations, it cannot recompense the company for the considerable expense of finding it. The cost of drilling a well very much depends on its location and its distance from supply chains and support facilities. Papua New Guinea remains a remote place for petroleum development operations of all kinds, being far from major petroleum development hubs. Much of Papua New Guinea remains a frontier petroleum province, notwithstanding 34 years of crude oil production and 12 years of gas production and LNG export. Put quite simply, Papua New Guinea is not Texas, where over 1.5 million wells have been drilled and between 157,000 and 187,000 wells are active. The presence of abundant civil and petroleum infrastructure in Texas makes the cost of petroleum development vastly lower. While high-production wells currently dominate production, thousands of older, "stripper" wells across Texas produce less than 10–15 barrels per day – not an unreasonable income if privately owned and the crude oil is able to reach the market readily through a convenient nearby pipeline. It is a very different story in Papua New Guinea, in which civil infrastructure is scarce and petroleum infrastructure is project-specific and sparse. A frontier province is an unexplored or underexplored geological region with suspected, but unproven, significant petroleum resource potential. Such is the case of the deep waters of the Coral Sea where TotalEnergies and Petronas plan to drill the Mailu-1 deepwater well soon, targeting Eocene carbonate reservoirs. Such a deepwater well is likely to cost about US$ 100 million for an estimated drilling period of less than two months. Such risks are not for the faint-hearted. It has been said that the drilling of absolutely rank wildcat wells in a petroleum basin where no prior exploratory drilling has taken place is indeed a bit like going into a casino for the first time, but bypassing the slot machines and going straight to the high-stakes tables! Of course, whether a sedimentary basin holds petroleum accumulations or has even generated oil and gas is not always certain. Sometimes subsurface conditions are not correct, or in the right order. Sometimes, there is no sign of any oil or gas seeping to the surface. It can be very much a blind gamble. But once a discovery is made in a newly explored basin, most often the herd of oil and gas companies come charging in. Getting that critical breakthrough of the first discovery is very important, not only for the exploring company which is investing in that exploration effort, but also for the host government which wishes to elucidate its petroleum prospectivity fully. Figure 10: The steps of petroleum resource development, after Valerie Marcel.  The Government Role Many governments around the world shy away from all but the very basic pursuits of oil and gas exploration because of the considerable expense and enormous risks.  They may obtain some seismic reflection surveys, particularly in offshore areas, either though bilateral aid and/or by speculative surveys conducted by seismic survey contractors who will pay for the survey and then promote the resultant data and provide a royalty or profit share to the government.  This may initiate exploration interest from established oil and gas companies and, of course, scientific interest from academia which will now have new knowledge about the geological subsurface arising from those surveys.   Governments typically offer their unexplored areas for exploration by competent oil and gas companies either by the grant of licenses or contracts.  That competency is not just technical, but includes corporate, environmental, financial, safety and social capacities; all are required at some stage during the cycle of petroleum development.  It is for these strengths that host governments tend to engage the international oil and gas companies; they know what they are doing.  But equally important, the host government needs to hold them strictly to account, most assiduously, and if deficiencies emerge, sanctions and penalties should be applied. A host government needs to rise to the challenge of the companies that it engages through licences or contract by having a highly competent petroleum regulatory organisation of its own, the staff of which should be very well rewarded for being guardians of the treasure of the nation’s oil and gas resources. Government objectives are primarily monetary; to translate the value of its petroleum resources into revenue which can then be used for the national development agenda. But equally, governments do not like to be kept in the dark, so quite often they participate, not in exploration, but in development and production by taking a stake in the petroleum project. Papua New Guinea has a legal option to participate up to 22.5% all petroleum projects.  This brings valuable inside knowledge of the development to the host government, and further revenue. There are other aspects of a petroleum development though, which need to be fostered.  For many nations, a critical issue is the security of supply of oil and gas to the economy. For all nations, keeping as much of the business within the country is an important issue, making sure local people are employed and contracted, and local business are contracted for goods and services as far as is possible.  This should not just be a political wish, but a coordinated effort by company and government alike to do what is possible, and assess what may be feasible with incentives and capacity building.  Figure 11:  Fabrication at a local engineering firm in Nigeria, after Jarander.   The investing companies normally meet the costs of basic exploration and are required to culminate their exploration programmes by selecting prospects where petroleum accumulations may have been formed, and then drilling them to test whether there are indeed any.  These agreed exploration programmes are the work commitment of the companies to their host government. Failure to undertake and complete the work typically results in cancellation of the licence or contract.  Sometimes, the company simply quits for one reason or another. They may simply not be successful in finding structures eligible for the considerable expense of drilling. There may be inadequate evidence of the potential for an accumulation, or there may be better prospects in other areas which the company is exploring, either in the same country, or elsewhere.  The oil and gas company will maintain a portfolio of exploration areas around the world and seek to optimise overall exploration risk and invest in drilling its best prospects.    If a company cannot fulfil its work programme, it normally has to depart and surrender the area back to the government, sometimes with penalties. This enables the host government to give the area to another company, which may have different ideas, theories, understanding and appetite for the petroleum geology of the area.  What governments hate is when companies sit on a prospective area without doing any work, hoping that the holders of adjacent areas will have success in discovering oil and gas and so elevate the value of their area. This is pure speculation and should be discouraged; it defies the intent of the government in granting the licence or contract in the first place for valid exploration work to be done. Of course, when a new petroleum province opens up after a discovery has been made, the herd mentality of the oil and gas industry is such that everyone rushes in to try to get a slice of the action.  This enthusiasm borne out of discovery needs to be captivated by the host government and it should be used to entice more exploration investment. Naturally, the best indication of the likelihood of the discovery of further oil and gas accumulations is an adjacent discovery; it certainly boosts the prospectivity of nearby areas. So governments need to be agile in their thinking and promotion of their petroleum resources for development.    Petroleum Rights    Apart from private lands in the USA, almost all petroleum rights around the world are held by the host sovereign government.  The USA is the odd one out; it has tied subsurface mineral rights to surface rights in private lands, though it retains control and ownership on Federal lands and offshore. Thus, across the world the government is normally the owner of the petroleum as it exists in the ground. In using the prowess and capabilities of the oil and gas companies to explore, the host government has to make sure it is rewarded as the guardian of the oil and gas resources that may lie in its territory. The oil and gas companies foot the bill for exploration, but if they are unsuccessful, they go home empty-handed. After the initial discovery of recoverable black oil at Kutubu in 1986, droves of oil and gas companies took up areas for exploration in Papua New Guinea, but only a few had success. Amongst those that came to Papua New Guinea, but left empty handed were: Conoco, Shell, Phillips, Pennzoil, Statoil, Mobil, Amoco, Marathon, Petrofina, Santos, Woodside, Union Texas Petroleum, and many a smaller company.   Some came and were successful in one area, but not in others. Some sold out their share of discoveries before development activities commenced, not having the commitment, will or ability to stay though development to production. Some departed, came back, departed and came back again; one could say that such companies were quite flexible and mobile in their thinking!   It is important to remember that the rights to conduct petroleum operations are typically exclusive over a defined area or tenement and finite in term after which they expire.    Figure 12:  A map of petroleum tenements in Papua New Guinea circa late 2025, after the National Petroleum Authority.  The Petroleum Regime   Petroleum rights are licensed or contracted out to competent companies by a host government under defined term and conditions normally articulated in law, regulations, contracts and licences. Alas, the real substance of these terms and condition only comes into effect after discovery. If the companies are successful and find accumulations that are worthy of commercial extraction, they are subject to regimes in which they share a substantial proportion of that value with the host government. Petroleum regimes are a fundamental exercise of the sovereignty of a nation over its petroleum resources that may have value if they are recovered in quantity as recoverable reserves. Oil and gas in the ground have little value if they cannot be recovered to the surface and sold for value. It is upon this extracted value that petroleum regimes are assessed and implemented.  There are many different methods for the host government to extract value: by the charge of rents, royalties, levies, bonuses, duties, and fees; taxation on income; taxation of employees; withholding taxes on interest payments and dividends; the take-up of equity by the government in a project for the production of oil and gas; the sharing of petroleum production; domestic supply obligations at discounted prices; and local content provisions. These provisions are normally established by law, contract, agreements and/or licence conditions prior to the commencement of exploration activity and most certainly before production operations commence to provide certainty to both the investing oil and gas companies and the host government.  Such fiscal design should attempt to cover all likely scenarios, but often precedence and political emotions distort clear thinking. Figure 13:  Fiscal design can be quite daunting, after Dan Johnston. The broad objectives of a petroleum regime are to reduce uncertainty; present a clear picture of the applicable commercial and tax terms, limit negotiations on tax issues, provide fair and equitable tax treatment for all investors, avoid double taxation and assure that the international oil and gas companies can obtain home country foreign tax credits for taxes paid overseas.  The general rule seems to be that the more attractive the resource base is, the tougher the fiscal and commercial terms of the host Government tend to be.  Of course, many other factors come into play, not the least of which is the remoteness of the place.    Take for example the Falkland Islands where despite discovering oil in 2010, the companies only made a final investment decision for the Rockhopper oil field in late 2025 with first oil planned for 2028.  Its remoteness from supply chains of any kind, let alone oil field supply chains and concerns about the Falklands ability to remain unaffected by Argentinian claims prolonged the progress towards field development.  Papua New Guinea suffers from a similar remoteness, with Singapore and certain bases in Australia being the nearest supply depots for oil and gas operations. Also, there is inadequate petroleum exploration to keep drilling rigs and other oilfield exploration equipment permanently busy and stationed in Papua New Guinea, necessitating their importation repeatedly and sporadically for isolated exploration campaigns.     Access to Land   Papua New Guinea also remains very much an under-tested frontier oil and gas province with comparatively low exploration density, but with reasonable success in locating oil and gas accumulations.  It is still attractive for exploration due to having significant and demonstrable oil and gas generation.  Other specific factors come into play as they do anywhere.  In Papua New Guinea, adherence to customary land tenure means that even though the State asserts its ownership rights of oil and gas in the subsurface, both the oil and gas companies and the State have to gain access to exploration areas, by dealing with the local landowners and entering onto their land. Their title to their land is undocumented, unalienable and enduring, and the companies and State have to treat with the landowners most carefully.  Figure 14: Landowners look on outside a petroleum operations camp, after Celine Rouzet. The hopes and expectations of landowners are heightened as and when oil and gas are found on their land, as might be expected anywhere. If the discovery is large enough to warrant development and subsequent production, quite clearly the customary landowners will be affected.  In Papua New Guinea unlike more despotic places, where landowners might be forcibly removed and shunned away, there are legally defined provisions by which the landowners may share in the process and benefits of petroleum development. Even at the exploration stage, the oil and gas companies are strictly required to pay compensation for their entry on or occupation of the land. Moreover, the companies have to undertake social mapping and landowner identification studies to ensure that they are dealing with the correct people.  By law, neither party is to interfere with the rights of the other. The companies have the right by law to enter and occupy land reasonably required, but without interfering with the existing use to any greater extent than necessary, and they may not interfere with fishing or navigation. Landowners for their part, may not enter on, occupy or interfere with any land being used for petroleum operations. These are as much responsibilities as rights for each party.             When development commences, the companies are encouraged to use as much local labour and content as possible. The Government typically provides the local community with business development grants to help the landowners participate.  Whilst National Content has been rightly emblazoned in Papua New Guinea Government policy in recent years, there have been provisions in the Oil and Gas Act, 1998 for domestic procurement obligations upon the companies for almost three decades. These require the use and purchase of goods and services supplied, produced or manufactured in Papua New Guinea whenever the same can be obtained at equivalent terms; encouraging and assisting citizens who are desirous of establishing businesses providing goods and services; and making maximum use of Papua New Guinea contractors and subcontractors. Alas, little emphasis has been made on enforcing this, let alone making regulations to give effect to the provisions or even examining compliance by companies.      Additionally, the Oil and Gas Act specifically defines benefits for the landowners and also for the affected Local Level Governments and the Provincial Governments when petroleum development proceeds to production of oil and gas.  These variously comprise: royalty benefit; equity benefit; development levy; other project benefits; and project grants. Whilst the Act generically specifies beneficiaries, these grants and benefits still need to be shared out and it is for this that the Act requires the Government to hold a development forum to which representatives are invited from all community stakeholders. This is an excellent, though exhaustive process, but one that far exceeds the treatment of people in petroleum areas in many other nations.  Papua New Guinea should be proud of this legally enshrined sharing and consultative process and it should be implemented with utmost care and concern.   Changes to the petroleum regime or simple uncertainty of its application may also bring added risk for exploration and development. Obviously, all governments wish to optimise the value that they can garner from petroleum resource development; after all it is their resource – to be used for the benefit of all in the Nation. Striking the best terms with the oil and gas companies, whilst enabling those same companies to make a reasonable return on their investments, is often a delicate balance. Sometimes, that balance cannot be achieved, and therefore exploration is thwarted or development of the discovered petroleum resources cannot be pursued. Proposed projects cannot proceed if there is imbalance between the company and government requirements; both parties need to win.  However, all decisions for development are predicated on awkward and uncertain assumptions about the future business of petroleum production.   Production Risks    Production profiles may be defined based on rigorous assessment of the amount of oil and gas that may be recovered from an accumulation.  Well tests are performed to gauge how reservoirs will behave and how much oil and gas a given well can produce. Test results are aggregated and a field development plan with a production profile is prepared based on tapping the oil and gas accumulation with a specific number of development wells. If enough appraisal drilling and sound geological assessment has been made of the reservoir and the physical parameters of the accumulation, a prediction may be made of the extent of recovery of the oil and gas from the accumulation.  Alas, only a fraction of the oil and gas originally-in-place can be recovered. Recovery factors vary from field to field and the nature of the oil and gas and the manner of how the field will deplete over time.  Sometimes, fields perform better during production, and sometimes they fail to live up to expectations.  The potential outcomes have to be risk-managed. Whilst petroleum engineers and geologists may attempt to limit such risk, it always exists. One only knows exactly how much oil and gas one can get out of a given oil and gas field on the last day of economic production when the value of the oil and gas which that field produces fails to covers the ongoing costs of its extraction. However, these risks pale into insignificance if one cannot get oil and gas production to market as result of exogenous risk, such as the closure of vital shipping lanes, like the Strait of Molucca between Indonesia and Malaysia, or the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United Arab Emirates and Oman through which 20% of the world’s global oil supply moves.  Figure 15: Whilst many production risks may be managed, exogenous risks such as the closure of major shipping routes may cut off petroleum producers from their markets, after freeworldmaps.net.  Price Risks    The economic outcome of production is determined by the volume of oil and gas produced by its sale price per unit of production. That depends on the quality of the oil and gas and the global market price for oil and gas of that quality. Gas is normally sold with reference to the crude oil price.  Importantly, that sales price for the oil and gas is only after it has been has been appropriately processed into saleable and transportable streams.  The oil has to be separated from water, sediment, and gaseous components, and likewise the gas has to be conditioned to specifications by the removal of water, noxious impurities like carbon, nitrogen and sulphur oxides, and natural gas liquids which can be sold separately. This all costs money to enable the produced oil and gas to be transported safely by pipelines and ships, and delivered to customers for downstream processing and supply. ,   The price of oil is, as we commonly know, subject to much fluctuation depending on global markets which are affected by many factors. Fundamentals such as global supply and demand predominate often highly influenced by politics and international relations, and nowadays, to a smaller degree, by energy transition policies. In so far as oil and gas revenues are thus variable, the projected income of any given oil and gas project is consequently variable. In embarking on an oil and gas development project, the investing oil and gas companies have to accommodate the risk of falling commodity prices and hence revenues, just as much as they have to consider the opposite with higher commodity prices. A development project has to weather the vagaries of the oil and gas prices as they occur.  Equally, as most oil and gas projects extend for decades, they have to countenance changing economic conditions, such as inflation and the cost of money as represented by the discount rate. Figure 16: Crude oil prices 1976 to 2026 with volatility somewhat suppressed due to use of a logarithmic price scale, after CrudeFacts. These extraneous matters often swamp the potential and forecast technical outcomes. Oil and gas price behaviour and the value of money throughout the life of a petroleum development project are key factors for both the investing company and the host Government alike.  No matter what petroleum arrangements and regime are used there needs to be an agreed understanding of the effect of swings in price and the value of money, lest either party is unduly penalised during the project life.  Most often the petroleum regime, one way or another, has a built-in ability to adjust the sharing of the net value of oil and gas production after the costs of exploration, development and production. For instance, income tax is only charged on net income or profit, so if oil and gas prices decline, profits decline and taxation accordingly also declines. In production sharing arrangements, the sharing of production comes only after the companies receive cost recovery payments, so a company’s share is reduced (as is the Government’s share) when prices are low. There can be elaborate fiscal adjustments made both for the upside and downside of production operations. Royalty and such direct levies can be made scalable. Capital depreciations for allowances against taxation income can also be adjusted, both up and down. Windfall taxes, additional production shares, or additional profits taxes can be triggered at times of elevated prices.  The key is for each party – both company and Government alike to respect the durability of the petroleum project and accommodate the volatility of prices by respecting the needs of the other party.   Other Development Criteria    When preparing a petroleum project for the production of oil and gas from a field, many matters have to be considered. Not only do the fiscal and commercial arrangements with the host government have to be firmly agreed and be robust for all likely outcomes, but environmental protection and the welfare of the community in which the project may be developed are required. There are necessary social and environmental impacts of petroleum development, but they can be minimised and mitigated by good practice.  Whilst exploration and appraisal costs are normally funded out of the company’s own money – its equity, when it comes to development, the extreme costs most often necessitate recourse to the borrowing of funds from financial institutions. Not all banks are willing to finance oil and gas developments these days due to the degradation of the Earth’s atmosphere caused by the emission of carbon dioxide on combustion of oil and gas and the subsequent effect of global warming of the atmosphere by the greenhouse effect.  Alas, many of those banks that withhold their financing are resident in nations in which their industries have been the primary polluters of the atmosphere for decades. Having initiated global warming and developed their economies, they now seek less developed nations to curb their emissions. This seems to be quite unfair. Fortunately, there are financial institutions that are more pragmatic and realise that there is no single big switch in energy supply to curtail all oil and gas production and usage.  Oil and gas will be essential ingredients in the global energy mix for decades to come, unless we wish energy poverty to pervade the planet, and life as we know it to be halted. This is not to support a case against global warming which is a documented scientific fact. We all have to be considerate of the future of our planet and work carefully towards limiting emissions of carbon dioxide and so limiting the extent of global warming through appropriate policies and investment in non-polluting energy of which renewables are just part of the mix alongside improved nuclear technology.   The Final Investment Decision   Once all aspects of a specific petroleum development project have been organised and prepared, the project plans may be presented to the host government for approval. Naturally, being a predominantly interested party, the host government normally readily approves these plans. After all it will be looking forward to its share of the earnings and other benefits from the proposed project.   Once the development licence is granted or a production permit is approved pursuant to a production sharing contract, the company (most often a consortium) has to make its final investment decision which triggers development operations. Various measures are used to determine the acceptability of a project for investment, traditionally the internal rate of return was used. It measures the effective rate of return earned by an investment as though the money had been lent at that rate. Alternatively, and used much more these days, is the net present value of a project which measures the capital created over and above the company’s investment hurdle rate.      Figure 17:  The Decision Rule, after Allen and Seba. This decision is not one made by the host government, but by the investing company, but failure to proceed with development may incur severe penalties once host government approval has been given. Most often the investing company is required to provide the host government with a corporate guarantee of value equivalent to the intended investment as part of its application for development approval.  That way the Government is not misled into approving a fake development where nothing happens, and allowing the company to slip away without repercussions.  When Chevron Niugini led the Kutubu Petroleum Development Project in 1990, Chevron Corporation, its parent company, provided an irrevocable letter of guarantee to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea to the value of its share of the expense in the project on its corporate letterhead signed by the President of Chevron Corporation; it was as good as gold! But they never hesitated in their development intent and resolutely developed the Kutubu fields as professionally as they could.     Michael McWalter is a former Director, Petroleum Division and Adviser to the Government of Papua New Guinea, and erstwhile petroleum adviser to the Governments of Ghana, Liberia, Cambodia, Sao Tome, and South Sudan. He is certified petroleum geologist and technical specialist in upstream petroleum industry regulation, administration, and institutional development.   Caption    

Papua New Guinea is entering a new era of digital transformation. Across government, business, education and households, technology is becoming increasingly central to economic growth, productivity and connectivity.  As one of Papua New Guinea's longest-standing ICT companies, Daltron is proud to play a leading role in supporting this transformation. For nearly five decades, we have evolved alongside the nation, continuously investing in technology, people and infrastructure to deliver world-class solutions to businesses and consumers throughout the country.  Today, Daltron operates through four strategic business divisions: Internet Services, Corporate Enterprise Solutions, Office Automation and Retail Technology. Together, these pillars provide a comprehensive technology ecosystem that enables organisations and individuals to thrive in an increasingly digital world.  Strengthening Connectivity Through ISP Services  Reliable connectivity has become the backbone of modern business operations. Through our Internet Service Provider division, Daltron continues to expand access to secure, reliable and scalable connectivity solutions for organisations across Papua New Guinea.  Leading Enterprise Digital Transformation  As organisations accelerate their digital transformation journeys, the need for visibility, resilience and efficiency has never been greater.  In 2025, Daltron strengthened its position as a leader in enterprise observability by introducing the SolarWinds Observability Platform to the Papua New Guinea market. This advanced solution enables organisations to gain real-time visibility into their IT environments, helping them improve performance, reduce downtime and strengthen operational resilience.  Our enterprise portfolio is supported by partnerships with some of the world's most respected technology providers, including Nutanix, Aruba, VMware, HP, Cisco, Fortinet, OpenText, Citrix and Oracle.  We have also expanded our networking portfolio through strategic partnerships with Ruijie Networks, providing customers with advanced routers, switches and network infrastructure solutions designed to support growing digital demands.  Delivering Smart and Efficient Workplaces  Daltron is proud to be Papua New Guinea's largest distributor, reseller and service provider of Sharp multifunction printer and copier solutions. Our dedicated team supports organisations across government, education, healthcare and the private sector with document management, workflow automation and managed print services that improve efficiency and productivity.  Expanding Security and Surveillance Capabilities  As security requirements continue to evolve, organisations require increasingly sophisticated tools to protect their people, assets and operations.  Daltron has strengthened its surveillance and security portfolio through partnerships with global technology leaders such as Dahua, one of the world's largest surveillance and security technology providers.  One of Papua New Guinea's Largest Retail Technology Networks  With a growing network of eight retail showrooms strategically located across the country, Daltron has established one of Papua New Guinea's largest technology retail networks.  Our retail presence allows customers to access the latest innovations in computing, consumer electronics, office equipment and digital solutions, supported by knowledgeable local teams and comprehensive after-sales service.  Investing in Papua New Guinea's Future  At Daltron, technology is not simply about products and services. It is about empowering people, supporting businesses and contributing to national development.  Our continued investments in connectivity, cybersecurity, enterprise solutions, office automation, surveillance technologies and retail infrastructure reflect our confidence in Papua New Guinea's future and its growing digital economy.  As the country continues its digital transformation journey, Daltron remains committed to delivering world-class technology solutions, building trusted partnerships and helping organisations across every sector achieve their goals.  The future of Papua New Guinea will be increasingly digital, connected and technology-driven. Daltron is proud to be helping shape that future through innovation, partnership and long-term investment.    By Shehan Zahir  Assistant General Manager – Sales & Marketing, South Pacific Region 

An aspiring educator from Southern Highlands Province is planning to use digital learning tools and e-library facilities to improve education outcomes in remote communities after completing his university studies. Nicholas Yawi, from Yanguri Village in the Kagua-Erave District within the Petroleum Development Licence (PDL) 3 and 4 project area, recently graduated from the University of Goroka with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and is now pursuing a postgraduate diploma in teaching. Yawi has been supported over the past five years through Petroleum Resources Gobe's Education Subsidy Program, which is administered by the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC). The graduate said he intends to return to his home province and help address educational challenges in rural communities by combining traditional teaching methods with digital learning technologies. He said the introduction of computer laboratories and e-library facilities funded through initiatives supported by MRDC and Petroleum Resources Gobe had demonstrated the potential of technology to transform learning opportunities for students in remote areas. According to Yawi, access to digital resources has become increasingly important as education systems continue to evolve and students require greater exposure to technology and online learning tools. "There are projects like e-learning facilities funded by MRDC and PRG back at home," he said. "We are now living in a digital world, and students need guidance from teachers on how to use tools like the internet and other technologies, as teaching methods continue to evolve." Yawi was among more than 1,000 students who graduated from the University of Goroka in April and views his postgraduate teaching qualification as the final step towards becoming a fully qualified teacher. He said he hopes to use his skills and education to help improve teaching standards and expand educational opportunities in underserved communities across Southern Highlands Province. "Coming from a rural area, access to education is a major challenge. There are not enough teachers, and the quality of teaching services is low," Yawi said. He added that improving education could help create better opportunities for future generations and contribute to broader community development. The Education Subsidy Program has played an important role in supporting students from project areas who face financial barriers to tertiary education, Yawi said. "The support has not only helped us but also our families back home. It motivates us to continue our education," he said. Yawi said graduates have a responsibility to return to their communities and contribute to local development through the knowledge and skills they acquire during their studies. "We are going back to develop our communities and give back by improving education for our people," he said. Petroleum Resources Gobe's Education Subsidy Program forms part of broader efforts to support human capital development in communities within the PDL 3 and 4 project areas, helping students access higher education and build skills that can contribute to social and economic development in Papua New Guinea.