Our Board of Directors

Mr. Peter Heno the founding Chairman of PNG Mining And Petroleum Hospitality Services Limited, a landowner company he envisioned and established with the landowner groups along the oil pipeline operated by Oil Search Ltd. now known as Santos.

Mr. Heno holds a certificate in Tropical Agriculture from Popondetta Agriculture College. He received his Diploma in Land Administration from the University of Technology PNG and a diploma in Public Policy Management from the University of Papua New Guinea. Mr. Heno holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Fredrick Taylor University, USA.

After completing his studies, Mr. Heno joined Chevron Niugini Ltd. and worked as a Lands and Community Relations Officer from 1992 to 1995. He then became the General Manager of Yasuku Oil & Gas Investment Ltd. from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Heno was twice appointed as the Treasurer and Executive Officer of Namo’ Aporo Landowners Association which he currently serves. Mr. Heno also serves as the Managing Director of Kutubu Catering Services Ltd. since 2008.

Prior to his appointment as Chairman of PNG Mining And Petroleum Hospitality Services Limited, Mr. Heno served as a Director of Namo’ Aporo Investment Ltd. and has been the Chairman of Namo’ Aporo since 2017. Since February 2022, Mr. Heno is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tom Nakei is the Chairman of Kutubu Catering Limited of Southern Highlands Province.

Mr. Nakei hails from the remotest parts of Kutubu neighboring the Gulf Province. He has been the Kutubu Catering Limited Chairman since 2004.

Though not attaining a primary education, Mr. Nakei’s resilience, passion and commitment to his people has marked him as a reputable community leader.

Out of the total sixty-one oil heads found in the Kutubu project area, twenty-four are found on Tom Nakei’s customary land thus, automatically securing his position as Chairman of Kutubu Catering Limited as nominated by his clansmen.

Before he was approached by Oilsearch Limited to create a new catering company, that is now known as Kutubu Catering Limited, Mr. Nakei was instrumental in establishing the landowner company Yasuru Oil and Gas that are owned by the five clans of Kutubu.

Today, Kutubu Catering Limited has a forty-seven percent share in PNG Mining And Petroleum Hospitality Services Ltd.

Leslie Ope Umai is the Chairman of Gobe Catering Services Ltd. in Gobe, Southern Highlands Province.

Mr. Umai proudly represents the five clans of Gobe that own Gobe Catering Services Ltd. of which he belongs to the principal landowner of the Gobe project area.

Completing his year 10 in the early 1970s Mr. Umai, took his first job before the independence of Papua New Guinea at the Department of Physical Planning.

He was seconded to then establish Papua New Guinea’s Housing Commission that is presently known as the National Housing Corporation.

Mr. Leslie Umai voluntarily resigned from public service to assist his people in negotiating for the Gobe project. He was the key person who negotiated for the current two percent royalty payment for all landowners in project areas across Papua New Guinea.

Mr. Umai is currently Chairman of the Erave Special Development Authority whilst also serving as Chairman of Gobe Catering Services Ltd., a position he has held since 1996.

Mr. Wonuhali Olawe completed his formal education at Awaba High School before venturing to work with Pasuwe Limited.

He then went on to join Gobe Catering Limited in whereupon he was sent to Sydney, Australia to undertake business studies.

Currently, Mr. Wonuhali Olawe is a Director of PNG Mining And Petroleum Hospitality Services Lta. it was during his directorship with Gobe Catering Limited when the other landowner groups came together and established PNG Mining And Petroleum Hospitality Services Ltd.

Mr. Peterson Pipi currently serves as the General Manager of Gigira Development Corporation (GDC). A landowned company of the Hides gas field.

Mr. Pipi attained a certificate of Tropical Agriculture from Popondetta Agriculture College in 1984 He then later attained a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1994. He also completed a Diploma in Economic Policy analysis from the National Research Institute of Papua New Guinea in 1995.

Mr. Peterson Pipi is a member of PNG Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr. Paliwa Olago is currently a Director at PNG Mining and Petroleum Hospitality Services Limited.

Mr. Olago hails from one of the newest provinces in Papua New Guinea, formed from three Southern Highlands districts in 2012, specifically neighboring in Hides Gas Field.

Mr. Olago’s determination and perseverance brought him to be leading with over 30 years of expertise in directorship which inspires his community as a transformational leader.

Mr. Olago was also the founding father of the holding companies, Gigira Development Corporation (GDC) and Gigira Camp Services Limited (GCSL).

Abraham Murepe is the Chairman of Kikori Oil Investments Limited in Gulf Province. He has been the Chairman of Kikori Oil Investments Ltd. since its inception.

Hailing from the Kikori oil pipeline area, Mr. Murepe completed grade ten at Kerema High School in 1978 and immediately after, was recruited in the Papua New Guinea Defense Force.

After serving two years in the army, Mr. Murepe returned to his village and began engaging in youth and community work before landing a senior management position with the Kutubu project that began in the early 1990s.

With his community and youth coordinator experience, his clansmen appointed him as Chairman of Petroleum Resouces Kutubu, currently managed by Mineral Resources Development Corporation.

Under his Petroleum Resources Chairmanship, Abraham Murepe has signed off on many major national investment projects such as the five star Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby.

Mr. Murepe is also a member of the Board of Directors of Gobe Freight Services Ltd. where Kikori Oil Investments Ltd. has a forty percent shareholding.

Aia Arua is the Deputy Chairman of Kikori Oil Investments Ltd. of Kikori in the Gulf Province.

Hailing from the Kikori district of Gulf Province, Mr. Arua joined the PNG Mining And Petroleum Hospitality Services board in 2015.

Completing year 10 at Kerema High School in 1986, Mr. Arua began his career as fisheries officer whereupon he committed himself to voluntary community work. Then in 1989, he was appointed secretary of the United Church circuit.

With his solid community standing, he was appointed by the Kikori Council Chamber as Chairman of a landowner company in 1991.

Mr. Arua was instrumental in establishing a shelf company, Tiare 12, which later progressed and evolved into Kikori Oil Investments Ltd which represents the five main tribes of Kikori.

Mr. Arua currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of Kikori Oil Investments Ltd. a position he has held since the company’s inception in 1991.

Nathan Nason joined the PNG Mining and Petroleum Hospitality Services Ltd. Board in late 2019 He was appointed by the KutMor Ltd. board. With KutMor having a 35% share interest in PNG Mining and Petroleum Hospitality Services Ltd., Nathan is also the current General Manager for KutMor Limited.

Mr. Nason graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and had previously attained a Certificate in Building Construction. Nathan has an extensive experience in construction and project management, strategic planning and business management.

Nathan was part of several project teams on the PNG LNG Project and later Oil Search Special projects team across the Hela and Southern Highlands Province.

He later became KutMor’s Operations Manager in 2017 before moving to Port Moresby as KutMor’s General Manager in 2019.

Mr. Pepe is a current Director for PNG Mining And Hospitality Services Ltd. and has held this position since 2017.

He attained his secondary education level from Saint Joseph’s Tari Highschool from 1985-1988 From 1992 to 2000, Mr. Pepe has worked in various companies.

From 2000, he has been self-employed and than later elected as a Chairman for Mananda Landowners Association representing different forums from 2005 to 2022.

He has also been a Director and Shareholer trustee from 2013 - 2022 for Kutmor Limited.