History
Before mining operations Mount Fubilan was a copper mountain with a gold cap.
Exploratory drilling in the area began in the 1970s, and was run by the Kennecott Copper Corporation.
In the early 80s, BHP (now BHP Billiton) secured a mining lease and in 1984, began exploiting a gold cap on the mountain using cyanide extraction procedures. After the gold deposit was depleted, a much larger copper deposit was targeted underneath. At that time, this deposit was believed to be the largest copper deposit in the world. BHP entered into a partnership with the Papua New Guinea government, Amaco Coorporation and a Canadian company, Inmet Mining Corporation, to mine the copper deposit, although BHP maintained a majority share in the mine.
Around 20 years after the beginning of mining operations, majority share ownership turned into the hands of the PNG Sustainable Development Program, in the wake of the Ok Tedi Environmental Disaster.
All mining operations at Fubilan have had their headquarters based at Tabubil.
Read more about this topic: Ok Tedi Mine
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