Papua New Guinea at a Glance
Papua New Guinea joined the Committee for Coordination of Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in South Pacific Offshore Areas [CCOP/SOPAC], as a founding member in 1972. CCOP/SOPAC became autonomous in 1984 and later changed its name to the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission [SOPAC] in 1989.
Papua New Guinea is located between latitudes ~ 1o South and 12o S and longitudes 141o East and 158o East and comprises the eastern one-half of the island of New Guinea, which is one of the largest islands in the world; the archipelago includes an additional 3 large islands (Bougainville, New Britain, and New Ireland) and about 600 smaller islands, atolls, and coral reefs. The 462,243-square kilometer (km2) nation is east of Indonesia between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean and lies just north of the Australian Continent. PNG has an Exclusive Economic Zone of 3,120, 000 square kilometers (km2)
PNG is geologically diverse and essentially made up of three broad geological provinces; a continental zone in the southwest closest to Australia, a central collision zone and a series of volcanic island arcs to the north and northeast. Papua New Guinea, lying at the boundary of two tectonic plates is quite active geologically, with numerous earthquakes, faulting, active volcanism and hydrothermal activity.
PNG is geologically highly prospective for both on land and offshore minerals and despite the size of its mining and petroleum industry is still considered to be relatively under explored. The mining industry is a major contributor to the export income (44% in 2000) and the taxation revenue of the nation and accounts for about 15% of the gross domestic product (GDP). If hydrocarbons (petroleum and natural gas) exports are included these figures amount to (77%) and (26%) respectively. Papua New Guinea produced 74.5 tonnes of gold in 2000 and 67.0 tonnes in 2001. Copper production, which is exported as a concentrate, averages around 200,000 tonnes per year.
PNG’s mining industry revolves around production from four large open-cut mines (Ok Tedi, Porgera, Misima and Lihir) and one underground mine (Tolukuma). The country is currently undertaking two major projects under EU and World Bank funding to regenerate exploration in PNG in order to have more projects on line when the current large mines close around 2015.
The country experiences two seasons; the southeast trade winds season [May to October] and northwest monsoon
December to March; slight seasonal temperature variation. Natural disasters caused by floods, mudflows, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis are common and have resulted in the severe loss of life and property. PNG’s mean annual rainfall is 2000 to 6000 millimetres, makes it one of the wettest countries on earth. Currently only 24% of the population of PNG have access to safe water and only 25% have access to sanitation. These two factors could have a bearing on the low life expectancy and high infant mortality in PNG. Increasing supply and reach would require proactive measures from the government, and these might be needed as the demand increases.
PNG has three main sources of freshwater: groundwater, rainwater and surface water. Only 24% of the population of PNG have access to safe water and only 25% have access to sanitation. The countries mean annual rainfall is 2000 to 6000 millimetres, which makes it one of the wettest countries on earth. Rainfall in PNG is extremely variable with precipitation reaching a maximum of 5 080 mm a year in certain areas
The county relies on a variety of sources to generate energy. There are 6 known sources of energy in PNG. These are biomass, hydro, solar, geothermal, wind, and hydrocarbons.
PNG has a diverse economy with a strong industrial, service and agricultural sectors. Their exports include gold, silver, copper concentrate, natural gas, copra, coconut oil, palm oil, coffee, tea, cocoa, tuna, trochus, green snail, bech-de-mer, pearl shell, culture pearls, timber products. At the last population count in 2000, the PNG Population stood at 5, 190, 786 [2000]
Member countries of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission [SOPAC] participate in the work of the Commission as partners with one another and with the Secretariat. The outcome of the partnership is work done to support the island members in their sustainable development efforts, including the overall reduction in vulnerability. The purpose of the member country profiles is to document the extent and evolution of this partnership. SOPAC provides only one of several channels for supplying assistance to Pacific Island Countries and aims to complement national capacity. An interactive CD is available with this publication, containing relevant SOPAC documents and key SOPAC reports on Papua New Guinea, which can be found in the SOPAC library and website.
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