The PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum event is expected to draw more than 1000 delegates from the hydrocarbon, minerals and energy industries, along with the investment sector.

 

Organisers say that Prime Minister James Marape will be there, as well as Mines Minister Ano Pala and Petroleum Minister Kerenga Kua.

 

Company heavyweights who are likely to join the PNG government officials include Newcrest's  Sandeep Biswas , ExxonMobil PNG's Peter Larden, Brett Darley of Santos and Musje Werror of Ok Tedi.

 

The PNG Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference is held biennially in Sydney with the goal of promoting investment opportunities in PNG's resources sector which contributes nearly 90% of PNG's exports.

 

The organisers says it is held in Sydney to make it easier for developers, explorers, investors, financiers, suppliers and other interested parties to attend from all over the world.

 

"The conference has a track record of successfully complementing the government's investment promotion efforts and helped attract billions of dollars of international investment into PNG's resources sector over the past 30 years," the organisers said.

 

Chamber of Mines president Anthony Smare puts it like this: "It has been a tough couple of years for PNG and the world economically, but this is our opportunity, working together with Government, to promote investment in the PNG resources sector to international investors. 

 

"We believe PNG has a lot to offer the world in terms of minerals and energy. The response from the PNG and international business community to the Conference has been very positive, with almost all sponsorship packages sold early, with all booths in the exhibition spaces sold out, and with the tickets selling rapidly, so I encourage anybody who is interested to go, to head to the conference website at www.pngconference.com and secure a seat," Smare said.