CASE STUDY: LEAD/ZINC PROJECT, NORTHERN LAOS, PROXIMITY TO CHINA BORDER REGION
BACKGROUND
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Area of project site Australian investor with exploration programme in northern Laos required security assessment outlining tactical and strategic threats to staff, assets and investment
- Laos the last “single party socialist republic” Government (Lao Peoples’ Revolutionary Party”) in SE Asia but seeking to open up to the international investment community in a bid to develop its national mineral resources industry and create national wealth
- Project site located in remote region of Laos (towards China and Myanmar [Burma] borders) with a history of ethnic (Hmong) conflict post Indo-China wars
- Laos continuing to evolve from the Indo-China wars and confronting ongoing issues with unexploded ordnance (UXO – bombs, cluster munitions dropped throughout the country) leading to injuries and deaths within local communities. International demining contractors spread throughout Laos uncovering, disabling and removing old munitions
CLIENT REQUIREMENT
- Deployment of external consultant to Laos to meet with relevant security authorities and commercial investors
- Assessment of in-country travel threats (if any) and provide relevant security advice
- Assessment of threat of UXO in area of project site, remote with basic amenities
OUTCOME
- Consultant deployment to Laos, meetings conducted in Vientiane with project management and Government authorities to determine investment and security climate
- Deployment to field operations to assess regional and local risk factors
- Meetings with local communities to determine attitude towards foreign operational and management team
- Reconnaissance conducted of access capacity to exploration sites
- Preparation and submission to client of security risk analysis, current and projected threats, national and regional attitude towards Australian investment