Underworld wonder! The stunning network of chambers and caves beneath PNG's lush mountains

By Anna Edwards in Mail Online

It's an adventure that demands explorers spend their time in the cold, wet and dark.
But for those who persevere, the results are certainly worth it.
A French-Swiss team have made it their mission to explore a huge network of chambers and sinkholes beneath the Nakanai Mountains of New Britain, in Papua New Guinea.
And for those who thought it was just the lush mountains and forest of the country that were beautiful, think again.

A caver stands in a chamber of stalagmites in New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Deeper underground: A man stands in a white chamber observing the stalagmites in the yawning cave

A team of cavers step through the water in a cave as they explore the networks beneath the forest

Is anybody there? The team are on a mission to explore the miles of chambers and sinkholes

Don't look down: A caver abseils above a pool of water in a cave, watched by French photographer Philip Bence, who described it as an 'incredible and unforgettable adventure'

The group's latest expedition into the stunning terrain were captured by French photographer Philippe Bence, 43, who described it as an 'incredible and unforgettable adventure'.
'The desire to explore remains the reason why cavers cave,' said Mr Bence.
'It is a privilege to have the opportunity to discover virgin terrain, to be the first to explore an area, to draw the map, to name a cave and its features.'
They abseiled sheer faces and dived through underwater chambers to reach new sections almost 600m from the upper entrance.

One caver prepares for the next part of the expedition - plunging into col water, as the team delve deeper into the underworld

Into the wild: A caver stands in a dark cave s they descend into the unexplored darkness

Head for heights: The team begin their long descent into the caves which stretch for miles in the beautiful country

They found huge chambers filled with limestone stalagmites and stalactites -which are formed slowly as calcium drips from the roof of the cave.
The main danger for 13-strong team was flooding - due to the unpredictable and heavy rainfall in the tropical island - and they had several close calls.
Cavers first entered the site in 1980 after hearing about huge openings in the middle of the tropical forests.
Mr Bence, who took part in five expeditions into the caves, added: 'Each generation of cavers has continued to reveal this hidden world.
'The subterranean environment is a fantastic place for discovery, for adventure and we are certainly lucky to be able to enjoy exploring it.'

Using ropes, a man abseils down a white chamber in the cave network, as the team discovers the extent of the underground network

Peekaboo: This tiny mammal with its huge curious eyes is capture on camera in the pitch black cave

Waving goodbye to daylight: A caver prepares to drop into the cave network which remains largely unexplored

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233207/Underworld-wonder-The-stunning-network-chambers-caves-beneath-Papua-New-Guinea-mountains.html#ixzz2CIVX77zK
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

MSF presses PNG on rampant sexual violence

AFP

SYDNEY — The president of Medecins Sans Frontieres pressed Papua New Guinea's new government to address its epidemic levels of sexual and domestic violence Thursday, calling it a "humanitarian crisis".
Unni Karunakara was in the impoverished Pacific nation to visit MSF projects targeting family and sexual violence and met with officials from Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's new government to urge action on the pervasive issue.
France's MSF (Doctors Without Borders) estimates that 70 percent of women in PNG will be raped or physically assaulted in their lifetime and Karunakara said the levels of violence were unique outside a war-zone or state of civil unrest.
"There is no open warfare in the country and the violence is (inherent) in how the society negotiates disputes, how they negotiate conflict between tribes, how they negotiate relationships within the family," Karunakara told AFP by phone from the rugged Pacific nation.
"We consider it to be an ongoing humanitarian crisis."
Between its two projects in the coastal city of Lae in Morobe province and the Southern Highlands city of Tari, Karunakara said MSF would see 60 rape cases a month and some women would return time and again.
"The status of women in society is very low, women are often blamed -- if a woman is raped she is blamed for letting that happen to her," he said.
The gravity of sexual violence is made worse by the country's HIV/AIDS problem -- almost one percent of its population of nearly seven million are estimated to be living with the disease.
More than 60 percent of the infected are women and girls.
Efforts to tackle the problem to date had largely focused on the law and order response -- training police and judges -- and Karunakara said there needed to be a greater emphasis on medical and psychological support.
He met with representatives of the new O'Neill government, elected in August, to urge them to roll out more family support clinics where women can be treated and counselled, immunised against sexually transmitted diseases and offered contraception.
"The most important challenge is getting the community to accept and see the benefit of such services," Karunakara said.
The MSF chief added that his meetings had been "extremely positive" and officials had "at least expressed their support in trying to address this".
"I think now it's time to go beyond words and follow it up with some concrete action," he said.
Though it is poised for a natural resources boom driven by a massive liquefied natural gas project set to double GDP, PNG remains mired in poverty and corruption, with high rates of crime and violence.
Only 40 percent of citizens enrol in school, 5.5 percent of children die before the age of two and the average life expectancy is just 57.

Oil Search shares fall as PNG LNG costs rise

Reuters

Shares in Australia's Oil Search Ltd, a partner in Exxon Mobil's Papua New Guinea LNG (PNG LNG) project, fell 5%  today (Monday) after the costs of the massive gas export development were revised sharply higher.

In a letter published on Monday, Exxon told its partners costs would rise 21% to $19 billion due to foreign exchange impacts and delays from work stoppages and land access issues.
Shares in Oil Search fell as low as A$6.96 and last traded down 5.2% to A$6.98, while shares in Santos Ltd, another partner in the project, fell 2.4% in a broader market down 0.3%.

Nautilus Minerals halts construction in PNG

StockMarketWire.com 

Nautilus Minerals has decided to preserve its cash position by terminating the construction of the equipment for its Seafloor Production System. It announced in June 1, 2012 that it was in dispute Papua New Guinea as to the parties' obligations to complete the agreement entered into in March 2011. 

To date, an agreed commercial resolution has not been achieved and Nautilus believes the avenues for achieving such a resolution within the timeframe that Nautilus could reasonably continue to carry the total development costs for the project have now been exhausted.

It has decided to terminate construction and all of the relevant supplier agreements contain provisions for termination without penalty. The company has also been forced to reduce staff numbers with approximately 60 positions being made redundant.

Nautilus' CEO, Mike Johnston, commented: "While terminating the equipment build for the Seafloor Production System and reducing staff numbers to this extent was a difficult decision, it was appropriate. Nautilus has a highly prospective ground position, which includes 19 identified prospects in Tonga, including the recent high grade discoveries in the NE Lau Basin and a 410m tonne Inferred Mineral Resource in the Central Pacific.

"Despite this setback, the company remains committed to maximising shareholder value by achieving its objective of developing the world's first commercial seafloor copper-gold project and launching the deep water seafloor resource production industry, whilst maintaining an environmentally and socially responsible approach."

PNG migration law to be reviewed

  

 
International Organization for Migration

Papua New Guinea - A high-level meeting held last week in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea saw the launch of an International Organization for Migration (IOM) programme of technical assistance to the Government's Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority for a review of the National Migration Act and Regulations.
PNG has seen 10 years of uninterrupted economic growth, supported by the mining industry, a major liquefied natural gas project and spin-off effects on the construction, wholesale and retail sectors. This growth represents new opportunities for the thousands of foreign workers and investors who are arriving in the country in increasing numbers.
This rapid economic growth also brings challenges which require the improvement and updating of migration laws. IOM will help legislators to review rules relating to existing visa categories, assessment criteria and flexible entry arrangements for skilled migrant workers and foreign investors.
It will also assess how PNG deals with abuses of the visa system to create a clearer and more comprehensive approach to the treatment of unauthorised non-citizens.
The current PNG Migration Act dates back to 1978. Since then, only a limited number of minor amendments have been introduced.
PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Rimbink Pato told the Port Moresby meeting that “Immigration laws are an important tool in achieving economic growth, especially through support for tourism and the facilitation of business and increased levels of inward investment. Just as importantly, immigration laws and procedures play a vital security role in ensuring well managed borders."
IOM Chief of Mission Giuseppe Crocetti noted “the urgent need for this major review to take place with a view to identifying options and making recommendations for responding effectively to the increasing volume and complexity of people movement across PNG’s borders.”
IOM’s technical assistance will also support options for incorporating PNG’s obligations under the Refugee Convention and its corresponding Protocol into national legislation. Faced with a current refugee population of about 9,000 West Papuans and a small component of non-Melanesian refugees, this issue is pressing, as current PNG legislation does not specify how a refugee status determination (RSD) system would work.
With funding from the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), IOM will support the legislative review process over the next two years as a part of a broader on-going capacity building programme in PNG. Legislation and policy drafting assistance will follow the initial assessment and build on the recommendations from an initial review report.

3rd PNG Human Rights Film Festival opens in Port Moresby tomorrow!

Starting this week, the PNG Human Rights Film Festival will run for five days from Wednesday, 14 November until Sunday, 18 November 2012 at the University of Papua New Guinea Main Lecture Theatre.

 Each day of the Port Moresby festival will focus on a different Human Rights theme where international and PNG films will be screened followed by a panel discussion:

• Wednesday: Violence Against Women
• Thursday: Discrimination and sexual health
• Friday: Business, Environment and Human Rights
• Saturday: Refugees, asylum seekers, and people smuggling
• Sunday: Ending impunity for Torture and Inhuman treatment.

There will also be two official launches at the Port Moresby festival:

• The Crying Meri photo exhibition on domestic violence in PNG will be officially opened on Wednesday, 14 November 2012 at 11.30am by photographer Vlad Slokin and will be on display throughout the event.
• The Komuniti Tok Piksa series of films on HIV and AIDS in PNG will be officially launched on Thursday, 15 November 2012 at 5.00pm.

The Port Moresby event will open from 10am to 7pm every day and is open to the public. Entrance for adults is K1 and children under 18 years old enter for free. Human Rights information stalls, exhibits and cultural performances will be set up in the UPNG Forum area and Buk Bilong Pikinini will organise children’s activities. 

Following Port Moresby the festival will also travel to Buka (24-26 November) and Goroka (30 November – 1 December). For full information and programmes visit www.hrff.org.pg and www.facebook.com/pnghrff.

The 2012 PNG Human Rights Film Festival is sponsored by: OHCHR, The European Union, Airlines PNG, Pacific MMI, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Oxfam, UNDP, WHO, The Voice Inc., British High Commission, The University of Goroka, The Human Rights Film Network, UNWOMEN, National Fisheries Association, and City Pharmacy Limited.

All media are encouraged to attend the various sessions and events at the festival. For further information, comment or interview please contact Lisa Smyth lisa.smyth@one.un.org, 321 2877 or Alithia Barampataz alithiamb@gmail.com, 7155 9980.

Cost of PNG LNG rises to $US19 billion

By AAP

The cost of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Papua New Guinea part-owned by Santos and Oil Search has increased by $US3.3 billion ($A3.18 billion) to $US19 billion ($A18.34 billion).
The PNG LNG project, the country's largest resources project, is being operated by Esso Highlands Limited, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, and Oil Search has a 29 per stake partner.
Santos, Japan's JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration, a unit of JX Holdings, and the Papua New Guinea government are also stakeholders.
Esso has indicated the cost estimate for the project has risen from $US15.7 billion to $US19 billion, due mainly to foreign exchange factors, Oil Search said on Monday.
Delays from work stoppages and land access issues, and adverse weather conditions have also added to the cost of the PNG LNG project, it said.
The increased cost is expected to be met in line with the project's existing financing terms, Oil Search said, and it expects to contribute an additional $US300 million ($A289.90 million) in equity.
Santos expects to contribute an additional $US130 million ($A125.62 million) in equity.
"The increase in the estimated final costs of the project is disappointing," Oil Search managing director Peter Botten said in a statement.
"The extent of the change is considerably beyond the upper end of what might have been expected from cash drawdowns and project progress to date.
"In addition, the estimated foreign exchange impacts and the amount allowed for additional contingency is higher than we would have anticipated.
"Oil Search intends to fully review the revised estimates and is committed to working with the operator to seek to mitigate these estimated cost increases."
But Mr Botten and Santos chief financial officer Andrew Seaton each said the PNG LNG project remained a "highly robust economic project".
The project remains on track for first production in 2014.