▁first ▁Aut onom ous ▁B oug ain ville ▁Government , ▁which ▁is ▁June ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁at ▁the ▁latest . ▁The ▁refer endum ▁would ▁be ▁non - binding , ▁and ▁the ▁final ▁say ▁would ▁rest ▁with ▁the ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Gu ine an ▁government . ▁▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Raymond ▁Mason o , ▁Vice - Pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁Aut onom ous ▁Region ▁of ▁B oug ain ville , ▁campaign ed ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁plan ▁to ▁re open ▁the ▁P ang una ▁mine ▁if ▁the ▁refer endum ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁vote ▁for ▁independence . ▁P ang una ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁civil ▁war ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁estimated ▁to ▁hold ▁co pper ▁worth ▁up ▁to ▁$ 6 0 ▁billion . ▁With ▁independence , ▁all ▁of ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea ' s ▁interests ▁in ▁the ▁mine ▁would ▁transfer ▁to ▁B oug ain ville , ▁giving ▁it ▁a ▁ 6 0 % ▁share ▁in ▁all ▁projects ▁and ▁retain ing ▁all ▁min ing ▁lic ences . ▁The ▁remaining ▁ 4 0 % ▁would ▁be ▁left ▁for ▁invest ors ▁to ▁bid ▁on . ▁ ▁Pl anning ▁ ▁The ▁vote ▁was ▁originally ▁scheduled ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁but ▁was ▁delayed ▁to ▁ 1 7 ▁October ▁amid ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁the ▁national ▁government ▁was ▁slow ▁to ▁provide ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁promised ▁fund ing ▁for ▁the ▁refer endum . ▁The ▁refer endum ▁was ▁delayed ▁again ▁to ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁at