Woman CEO in PNG’s Toughest Resource Development Location – ANGORE HOLDINGS LTD (AHL) – TARI-HELA PROVINCE- PNG

Papua New Guinea is not for the faint in heart – a reality that hits hard those who dare to work, play, and live in this rugged nation. Our three-dimensional structure of nationhood is woven with spiritual-tribal and cultural roots that pulse through every aspect of our existence. As a tribal cultural nation, women face formidable challenges in male-dominated spheres, where breakthroughs are hard-won and often fleeting.

A recent incident has brought this into sharp focus. The Post Courier News in PNG published a damaging story about Theresia Bob, CEO of Angore Holdings Limited in Hela province, without verifying facts or balancing their narrative. The reporter and publisher showed blatant disregard for journalistic ethics, destroying Theresia Bob’s reputation and tarnishing the image of Angore Holdings Limited and its stakeholders. We took notice and decided to set the record straight. In an exclusive interview, Theresia Bob shared her story and shed light on her involvement with the Angore Project in Hela Province. Despite the province’s notorious reputation for lawlessness and tribal warfare, Theresia Bob spoke confidently about the project and her role in it. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she defied expectations and proved that with determination and hard work, anything is possible, and that she is committed to helping PNG grow.

Her story is a testament to the strength and resilience of women in Papua New Guinea, who navigate complex cultural landscapes to achieve their goals. Theresia Bob’s experience serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of responsible journalism and the need for fact-checking and balanced reporting, especially in a nation where misinformation can have far-reaching consequences.

We ask Theresia Bob to provide exclusive insight into the work she has done and how she got involved with Angore Holdings Limited. Below is her unfiltered response.

“I am Theresia Bob, Chief Executive Officer of Angore Holdings Limited, a company duly incorporated under the Companies Act 1997.  The company is 100% owned by the landowners of Angore PDL8 PNGLNG License area by 49 clans.   The directors are also Angore landowners representing the 49 clans also. I have been associated with Angore Holdings Ltd since incorporation which was 2008 but I have been associated with the Angore People since 1997 when I started my life in the city of Port Moresby after graduating from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1996.  Hence, I have been a part and parcel of Angore even before the PNGLNG since 2009 and this is also my 28th year of being associated with the Angore People.

Please note, I am not from Angore, nor am I from Tari or Hela Province, but I am from Mount Hagen in Western Highlands Province.

As an accountant, I have been looking after the compliance of the company since incorporation and since the LNG came on board and Angore was part of it. The landowners have been building the Angore Holdings Camp back in Tupake Camp, Angore, Hela Province and we have made several attempts with my help at some stages to try to recruit an operations manager preferably a male considering the natural social environment to go and look after the operations since the Project in Angore was scheduled to start in March of 2017.

The project that started in March of 2017 was short lived as it was shut down by disgruntled landowners and the camp got burned down for the first time between 14^th and 15^th November 2017. ExxonMobil tried getting the project started again in February 2018 and was again burnt down this time with huge loses to EMPNG between 20,21 and 22 June 2018 by another group ring leader who wanted recognition as the social mapping of PDL8 was not completed.

Between March 2017 and July 2019 after the PNGLNG PDL 8 Project was shut down twice, Angore Holdings Ltd, still did not have a willing Male Operations Manager to go to Angore and run the operations of the company to ensure that Exxon Mobil PNG Ltd would be given confidence to restart the project again.

In October 2018, Exxon Mobil requested the Chairman of Angore Wellhead Leadership Committee , Mr Hari John Akipe to provide leadership for Angore PDL8 Project so that they could restart the project. In his Security Report to Exxon Mobil through Kumul Petroleum Ltd (KPL), among a few recommendations, Mr Akipe recommended that all the security and equipment hire be given to Angore Holdings Limited (AHL). AHL would then provide leadership to ensure that the PDLB Project would continue without any issues. The Chairman of the Angore Wellhead Leadership Committee and the Chairman of Angore Holdings Limited then approached me. They convinced me that I was the right person to look after Angore Holdings Ltd since I had already been associated with the people of Angore for 20 years and the people were familiar with me.

I was then appointed on19 July 2019 by the Board of AHL as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to look after the operations of AHL. I also had to ensure that AHL worked with landowners to look after their interests to ensuring that EMPNG’s PDL8 PNGLNG Project was not affected in anyway.

Since my appointment in July 2019 to now April 2025, we have had no issues with landowners to have destruction done to the EMPNG PDL PNGLNG project since the project restarted its drilling phase in August 2019 and just completed in November 2024 and the PDL8 PNGLNG Gas is now in production.  According to reports- The Angore gas project in Hela Province, Papua New Guinea, has been completed and is delivering up to 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the PNG LNG Project. This development unlocks a one trillion cubic feet natural gas resource, boosting the project’s supply for years to come. Check out this link.

We have had issues within the last five (5) years but we have been able to resolve those with the EMPNG Community Affairs Officers on the ground and have amicable resolved any issues before they ignite fire.

However, within the last twelve (12) months, AHL’s payments have been consistently being delayed by the Contractor which has caused serious cashflow problems where service providers have not been fully paid to this day that I got arrested by one of the Service Providers, Mr. Dickson Olabe on 14^th February 2025. For the record, me, as a female from another province was managing the PNGLNG Project Area’s landowner company in another province and it was not just another province, but Hela of all provinces with the current affairs that have been consistently being reported on social media as been one of the toughest assignments in my career as a finanacial and accounting expert. Hence, Mr Olabe was fully aware of his outstanding monies at the time he arrested me. As an educated man, he should have sued AHL as, it was AHL that owed him and not me.

My Final Thoughts to the People of Angore, Hela, Tari and PNG

“With unyielding passion and unwavering dedication, I have made immense sacrifices, compromising my safety, comfort and young family as a single mother to push beyond limits and drive transformative change in Hela and Papua New Guinea. I extend my deepest gratitude to the resilient people of Angore and Hela for their unwavering trust in me.

My heartfelt appreciation goes to the Visionary Board of Directors of Angore Holdings Ltd and to the Chairman of Angore Well-Head Leadership Commitee, stakeholders of PDL8, and all who have championed my journey as a trailblazing woman in Papua New Guinea. Above all, I thank God Almighty, my loved ones, and my precious children for sharing me with Hela and Papua New Guinea. I look forward to more challenges. And for those who are challenging me to give you solutions that are beyond my control and have abused me, I forgive you all, and I continue to work tirelessly towards resolving the complex, nation-building issues that demand our collective attention.

As I navigate the rugged landscape of a male-dominated industry in PNG, a country where women in business are often met with formidable obstacles, I find my resolve strengthened by the knowledge that my struggles are not just my own, but a testament to the resilience of PNG’s women in this beautiful yet challenging land.

I remain steadfast in my commitment to paving the way for future generations of PNG women, and I will not be deterred. And to those I may have inadvertently hurt or wronged along the way, I offer my sincerest apologies. May we work together towards healing, understanding, and collective progress, extending forgiveness and kindness to one another, just as I have chosen to forgive those who have wronged me.”