The Frieda River Project is a large open cast mine and associated infrastructure in the Sandaun and East Sepik Provinces of Papua New Guinea.
[4] It is now owned 80% by Chinese state-owned PanAust Ltd after it was bought from Glencore/Xstrata in 2013,[5] and 20% by Australian Stock Exchange-listed Highlands Pacific.
[7] Feasibility studies were underway in 2010[8] and completed on 19 May 2016, and were reportedly on track at that time for submission to the Government of Papua New Guinea.
[9] There is enormous concern in Papua New Guinea and elsewhere about the potential for environmental damage to the Sepik River from the mine.
The environmental impact statement for the mine notes that "the extreme consequences of complete failure [of the tailings dam] leading to the uncontrolled release of large quantities of water and solids (from waste rock and tailings placement) would likely result in extreme downstream environmental and social impacts.”[11]