Gold, coal reserves found in Mayado, Irian
Thursday, June 22 2000 - 03:00 AM WIB
Domestic and foreign mining experts have found indications of gold mining potentials in the village of Mayado, Bintuni subdistirct, Manokwari district, Irian Jaya, according to the chairman of the Association of Bentuni Gulf People, Decky Kawab in Manokwari on Wednesday.
Besides, Decky said the Jayanti Group had also found a huge reserve of coal in the Homa mountain range, but it has not exploited the reserves yet.
However, Decky said local people did not want those gold and coal reserves to be mined unless the investors involved local people.
He contended that the existing investors mining minerals in the Bintuni Gulf did not care about local people, especially about their traditional rights over the land. In addition, those investors often could not meet its obligations to local administrations, moreover to local people.
"Currently, there are 18 investors that have invested in the forestry, fishery, plantations and some in the mining, but their presence here has not brought about significant economic improvement to the locals," Decky said.
Therefore, Decky said that new investors interested in investing in Bintuni Gulf area must talk transparently and honestly about their business plan and prospects to local people so that their operation would not create social problems in the future.
Meanwhile, Antara reported that PT Patrindo Persada Maju is currently exploring for oil in Bintuni area. An employee at Patrindo said that the company would just reactivate tens of old wells that were left by a Dutch oil firm, the Nederland Niew Guinea Petroleum Machapy.
He said that most wells left by the Dutch firm were still active, they were just covered by concrete to prevent explosion from crude and gas inside the wells.
He said that Patrindo, which had started its operation in the area since 1996, had found three of the dozens of old wells. It was currently studying the crude oil reserves of each well.
Besides Patrindo, foreign oil firm Santa Fee is also exploring oil in nearby area, in Sorong. It has been producing hundreds of barrels of crude oil per day. (*)