The Panguna Mine in Bougainville contains an estimated $100 billion in proven copper and gold reserves; nearly 1% of global gold reserves and copper resources equal to 70% of Canada’s total. Shuttered since 1989 due to civil war, it remains one of the world’s largest undeveloped ore bodies. In this extraordinary conversation, Numa Numa Resources Chairman & CEO John D. Kuhns explains how his company secured what no other mining firm has achieved: binding agreements with the Panguna landowners and Bougainville’s government to develop the mine.
John D. Kuhns, Chairman & CEO of Numa Numa Resources, discusses his company’s unprecedented agreements to develop Bougainville’s Panguna Mine (a $100 billion copper-gold resource that’s been shuttered since 1989).
Kuhns explains how decade-long Relationships with landowner clans create competitive advantages traditional miners can’t replicate, addresses sovereignty risk as Bougainville pursues independence from Papua New Guinea, and reveals why China’s strategic interest in the region makes Western investment urgent. Topics include capital requirements for mine restart, profit-sharing structures, Numa Numa’s planned public listing, and why this tier-one asset is positioned to help fill the looming global copper supply gap. A geopolitically charged conversation about resources, independence, and frontier market opportunity.
Perfect for: Resource investors, geopolitical analysts, Family offices evaluating frontier market opportunities, institutional investors interested in copper-gold exposure, and anyone tracking U.S.-China strategic competition in the Pacific.
Critical Context: Goldman Sachs projects gold at $4,900/oz by December 2026. Global copper demand is set to double by 2035 with supply pipelines critically constrained. The Panguna Mine’s 547.15 metric tons of gold and 5.3 million metric tons of copper are proven reserves—not exploration targets. This isn’t a speculative junior miner; it’s a fully explored, previously producing tier-one asset in a geopolitically strategic location.
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