Govt putting landowners first in new licensing move

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By GYNNIE KERO
OIL and gas industry players are now required to have social mapping and landowner identification (SMLI) approved by the minister before a petroleum development licence is granted.
Petroleum Minister Dr Fabian Pok yesterday said social mapping and landowner identification had not been done properly in the past and the licences were rushed through.
“Hence, we have the problem of not knowing who the landowners are. Twenty years after Kutubu and four years after the PNG LNG project, we still have issues identifying who the rightful landowners are,” Pok said.
He told the Petroleum and Energy Summit in Port Moresby yesterday that there would be a “paradigm shift” in the progress with projects. “Our priority will not be so much on exporting and collecting revenue but rather about effective use of our oil and gas resources in value-added industries such as power generation, downstream processing, petrochemical manufacturing and refining fuel products with the focus on growing the economy.
“Landowner identification is another important area of focus.
“The Oil and Gas Act is specific in that the oil and gas companies are required to complete social mapping and landowner identification and submit it to the minister for approval before a petroleum development licence is granted.
“We must follow the law. The SMLI in the past has been too shallow and the and the petroleum development licences were rushed.
“We will be prudent on this to know clearly who the landowners are before we grant a licence.”