After the government’s endorsement of the Papua LNG Gas Agreement in September, attention has shifted to achieving a deal for the P’nyang gas project. Its developers see its pending approval as a prerequisite for the commencement of Papua LNG.
ExxonMobil
Papua New Guinea’s Petroleum Minister has announced that the government will honour a gas deal struck with French major Total SA for the US$10 billion Papua LNG project. The project will be the single largest foreign investment in the Pacific country since the advent of the US$19 billion PNG LNG project a decade ago.
Papua New Guinea’s Petroleum Minister Kerenga Kua has announced that the National Executive Council (PNG’s cabinet) has ‘in principle’ agreed to ‘stand behind’ the gas agreement signed in April for the US$10 billion (K33.7 billion) Total-led Papua LNG project.
Santos has acquired a 13.5 per cent interest in the P’nyang natural gas field in the PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea. Analysts are generally bullish on the move, saying the company now has a strong balance sheet and is set to meet its production targets.
The Papua New Guinea State has signed the gas agreement for the US$10 billion (K33.7 billion) Papua LNG project with Total, ExxonMobil and Oil Search. The project, which will double PNG’s gas production, represents the second-largest foreign direct investment ever in the country.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced a date for the signing of the gas agreement for the US$13 billion Papua LNG project. Opening the PNG Petroleum and Energy Summit in Port Moresby yesterday, he also outlined some of the key elements the agreement will contain.
Neil Chapman, Senior Vice President of ExxonMobil, told the APEC CEO Summit earlier this month that LNG capacity in Papua New Guinea could double. He claimed the global shift to natural gas to reduce carbon emissions is favouring the industry.
Peter Botten, Managing Director of Oil Search, says including communities in the development agenda is a way that resource developers can engage with governments and other stakeholders. He explains that what his company has done in PNG can be a model for other developing countries.
Russia plans to open an embassy in Port Moresby, the Australian Prime Minister announces relaxed visa rules for Pacific nations, and Crystal Kewe, the young app developer, wins a major APEC award.
The Prime Minister Peter O’Neill gave an upbeat take on the Papua New Guinea economy when opening the APEC CEO Summit. He pointed to the need for consistent trade rules, strong engagement with civil society and the community, and a focus on the opportunities offered by the digital economy.