A view of tailings at Barrick Gold Corp's Porgera mine, Papua New Guinea, Dec. 4, 2017. The company has ramped up production at the mine after years of idled production, stemming from a dispute with the government over the economic spoils.Catherine Coumans/MiningWatch Canada
Barrick Gold Corp. ABX-T has suspended most of its operations at its Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea after two of its employees were killed offsite in a violent outbreak that hit the surrounding region.
The company said in a statement that activity at the mine will remain suspended until Thursday for the protection of its employees “while the government restores law and order.”
Toronto-based Barrick did not provide much detail on the violence other than characterizing it as a “tribal conflict.” The company added that the Papua New Guinea government has declared a state of emergency and is reinforcing police presence in the area.
The Associated Press reported that dozens of people have been killed since last weekend after clashes involving illegal miners.
Barrick had been ramping up production at Porgera after years of idled production, stemming from a dispute with the government over the economic spoils.
Porgera is located at altitude in the Enga province of Papua New Guinea, about 600 kilometres from the capital city of Port Moresby. The site employs 2,500 people with most coming from the local community.
Barrick in a regulatory disclosure in May said that tribal conflict occurs regularly in Enga and often turns violent.
“There is significant intra and intertribal fighting and human rights abuses,” the company said.
The Canadian gold miner also said it deals with large influxes of illegal miners attempting to access the Porgera mine.
Escalating violence in the region over the past few years has resulted in the withdrawal of most of the state security forces, Barrick added.
In a statement in July, Barrick chief executive Mark Bristow said that the lack of law and order is “the greatest threat” to the continued operation and profitability of the Porgera mine.
Late last year, Barrick restarted production at Porgera, after a suspension that had been in place since 2020 was lifted. Barrick agreed to grant the Papua New Guinea government and various other stakeholders a much bigger share of the economics of the mine.