Group opposes LNG plans

 AN executive of a landowner group from Gulf says they are against the proposal by joint venture partners in the Elk/Antelope project to pipe the gas out of the province.

The Total-led project, whose partners include InterOil and Oil Search, say the LNG processing plant will be located at Caution Bay, about 20 kilometres north-west of Port Moresby and adjacent to the existing PNG LNG site.

Purari Development Association Inc president Roy Evara said: “We see this proposal to pipe gas to Caution Bay as absurd and absolutely ridiculous when there is adequate land in Baimuru district to construct a refinery and a terminal to export the gas directly from Gulf shores.

“As customary landowners who hold a land title over the land that encompasses the gas fields, we would like to state on record that we support this major impact project, however, we see the current proposal by Total SA as highly detrimental to the developmental aspirations of the resource owners from Baimuru district and the people of Gulf.

“We support the Gulf provincial and Baimuru Local Level Government’s unified stance to object to this proposed plan and urge the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, the Government and Total SA and partners to immediately reconsider this to avoid direct resistance and disruption to the project, which at the moment is heightened as a result of this announcement.” On the change of the project’s name from Gulf LNG to Papua LNG, Evara said such change was outright disrespectful to the genuine resource owners who play host to this project.

In a statement on Wednesday, O’Neill welcomed the decision by Total SA and venture partners to proceed with the project.