A total of seventeen international geologists from around the world have visited Ramu NiCo’s mine site at Kurumbukari in the Usino-Bundi electorate of Madang province last weekend.
Senior geologist at the University of Papua New Guinea Prof Hugh Davies led the international delegation of geologists, professors and researchers comprising of six females and 11 males from countries including Brazil, China, Canada, Australia, USA, Israel and PNG.
The visit to KBK Mine on Saturday August 4 was in connection with the 34th International Geological Congress which was later held in Brisbane from August 5 to 10.
The delegation arrived a week earlier for an excursion to Kokoda and Ramu NiCo which is part of the Brisbane meeting to see the rock and soil formation of the nickel and cobalt mine.
Ramu NiCo Chief Geologist Andrew Kohler met the group at KBK Mine and gave a power point presentation on the mine and later visited the mine pit with the group.
The group was impressed with the mining currently going on at the isolated Bundi district, especially the infrastructures including Ramu NiCo Bridge, Yamagi-Usino road and the mine infrastructures.
Prof Hugh Davies who had been lecturing at UPNG for some time said he visited KBK sometime back but the recent visit is a surprise for him given there are lot of developments along the road leading up to the mine site.
Photo caption: Ramu NiCo staff talking to geologists at the mine pit.