David Johnston

A land access and exploration agreement between Kalia Ltd and Bougainville locals has brought the minerals rich PNG island a step closer to reviving its former mining glory. The signing represents the first significant endorsement of the new Bouganville mining act in the now autonomous country that vests all mining rights with customary land owners. Kalia now has a serious first mover advantage.

Kalia Ltd has received $3m in funding from major supporter, Tygola, to accelerate exploration at its exciting Tore Joint Venture on Bougainville Island, where it has delineated numerous copper-gold porphyry systems from geophysical interpretation for follow-up work. The field programs aim to define and prioritise its maiden drilling targets, with the campaigns expected to kick off next year.