A LIMESTONE mine, run by women in Morobe, displayed its products at the EU-PNG Business Forum in Port Moresby this week.
The Bayawaha Limestone Company Limited (BLC), is believed to be the first mine in Papua New Guinea owned and run entirely by women.
Members attended the forum to gain exposure and establish contacts with European delegates and potential business partners.
Chairlady and director Julie Towak Yakam said the mine manager had registered the company to participate in the forum.
BLC holds mining lease ML28 and environment permit EP-L2 (689) and is based in Buang, Bulolo.
The company produces calcium carbonate at 99.8 per cent purity for stock feed, supplying companies including Mainland Holdings for poultry farming.
It also supplies hydrated lime to the K92 Mine and Harmony Gold for their gold processing operations.
“We were only supplying raw material, but now we are trying to go into downstream,” Yakam said.
“We are just starting now.”
BLC employs about 25 workers, most of them women in management.
According to Yakam, the mine has more than 30 years of life remaining and a long-term capacity of 600, 000 tonnes per annum.
BLC is near the Wafi-Golpu project area, putting it in the middle of one of PNG’s most active mining corridors.
BLC was operated for 40 years from 1957 by the Australian Consolidated Industry (ACI).
It later was operated with the ML28 under the New Guinea Containers (NGC) which expired in 1989.
Yakam said the mine produced limestone using normal crushers only.
“Our challenge is (lack of) equipment to produce and finance,” she said.
“And there is no support.”
“We were just doing it ourselves to produce this. But we succeeded.”
Their goal now is to secure equipment, access finance, and be included in the Lae Special Economic Zone to grow their operations and supply more clients across PNG.
