CASE STUDY: LEAD/ZINC PROJECT, NORTHERN LAOS, PROXIMITY TO CHINA BORDER REGION

laos

BACKGROUND

  • Laos oamme.com
    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