A second homecoming for Senior Professional Thomas Kevaro within the extractive industry

June 11, 2024 – Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

With well over 27+ years in the extractive resource sector, working with TotalEnergies EP PNG Limited, has been like a second homecoming, for Development Forum Coordinator Thomas Kevaro. “I worked with InterOil during the exploration days as one of four Community Affairs managers and now I’m back again with TotalEnergies to help contribute to the development of the second LNG project in Papua LNG project,” he said.

Hailing from Kukipi in East Kerema and Ovahuhu village in Ihu, Gulf province, Thomas is a community leader, a Chief (Pukari) in his Toaripi tribal village and even runs a non-profit group helping disadvantaged and marginalised people in his spare time. Completing his secondary education at Passam National High School, he attended the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) from 1985 to 1988, majoring in Physical Geography and Minoring in Anthropology & Archaeology. He obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from UPNG in 1993 and a further Post Graduate certificate in Community Relations from the University of Queensland in 2009 and began his career as a teacher, spending six years at various national high schools, after graduating from the university of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in 1989.

His journey within the extractive industry thus far

Inspired by his visit to his first resource project Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) in 1988, he describes that experience as the catalyst which launched his elusive career in the Mining and Oil and Gas industry.

TotalEnergies EP PNG Limited Public Affairs Team L-R: Richard Kassman, Thomas Kevaro, Ian Marru and Hosea James

The father and grandfather of four, has spent four years at OK Tedi,12 and a half with Lihir, seven years with InterOil (on the Elk Antelope Project), a few months with ExxonMobil and presently, with TotalEnergies, he says the real joy comes from experiencing the everyday moments. “After you spend a while within the industry, you learn to appreciate work life and for me, it’s not the benefits; it’s getting to witness the project develop from infancy to a fully mature project,” he shares.

“To see tracks being constructed into roads from nothing to an oil pad, gives you a sense of ownership. All my former Community Affairs and Lands colleagues, we undertook seismic exploration all over the place – we know that area like the back of our hands,” he added proudly.
After he left OK Tedi in 1998, he joined the Environment & Community Affairs team at Lihir Gold Mine, now Newcrest Mining Limited and remained there for the next 12 and a half years until he made the move to go back home in 2011 to join InterOil.

“All my kids went to Lihir International Primary School on the island, my spouse was one of the pioneering teachers of Lihir Secondary school in 2000. It was a very good environment, beautiful place, conducive for families,” he shared proudly.

Although he was only one of a few national superintendents at that time, he is grateful for his time at InterOil as a Community Affairs manager, because it was his launchpad into the Oil and Gas sector and he was able to go home.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute what I can as a senior Papua New Guinean and as a native of Gulf Province, given my experience and knowledge in the resource extractive industry,” he adds.

“I give my sincere respect to those who have passed on – late Gerson Amen, late Morris Peremai, late Leo Pera, late Kila Tore, late Gina Viritoga, late (retired) former PNGDF Brigadier-General Anthony Huai in the field of Community Affairs,” he said.

His roles with TotalEnergies in the past two years have been in Land Access and Development Forum for the Papua LNG project. He has enjoyed the roles and looks forward to giving more to the Project in the years to come.

“PNG is blessed with a lot of resources. Most of these resources are based in remote areas, nowhere near towns, so there needs to be opportunities for people, in less developed areas where resource projects occur, to enable them to have access to goods and services,” he says.

“Papua New Guineans must benefit from such projects during exploration through to production, operation and finally de-commissioning. However, at the same time, we must acknowledge that, these Projects come with both ‘the good and the bad’”, he affirms.

He credits the bulk of his success to his most supportive and beautiful wife of many years Philomena Hirigien Kevaro (nee Maru) from Yangoru East Sepik Province, who has been his greatest soulmate, throughout his professional career.

“She loves her teaching job and has been in the classroom for the last 36+ years, educating thousands of young Papua New Guineans across the length and breadth of this beautiful country,” he says proudly.