Gulf eyes huge growth
The National, Thursday 6th June 2013
By JOHN PANGKATANA
GULF is driving towards industrialisation, Governor Havila Kavo says.
He said the province was rich in resources but the people had not participated meaningfully for the past 30 years.
“The time for us begging and drifting around the country is over. It’s time to come home and look after your land and be seen as landowners, so that you can benefit in huge development that will give Gulf a much-needed face-lift,” he said.
Kavo said the Gulf LNG project would be the catalyst to rejuvenate the province.
He added that the development of the country’s third international port would also boost the province’s economy.
“We will ultimately be the second alternate to the nation’s capital; this project will open up economic activities,” he said.
He urged Gulf leaders and stakeholders to put aside their differences and take advantage of the proposed new developments such as the liquefied natural gas project.
The governor welcomed the “good news” that InterOil was negotiating with global giant ExxonMobil to develop the Gulf LNG project.
“InterOil Ltd and Pacific LNG Ltd will be working with ExxonMobil over the next 60 days towards finalising certain documentation,” he said.
“I understand that InterOil and Pacific LNG are selling an interest in Petroleum Retention License (PRL) 15 to ExxonMobil to develop an additional train for the LNG plant facility at Portion 152, near Papa village.
“As a provincial government, we acknowledge that this will help accelerate the development of the Elk/Antelope infrastructure such as pipelines, gas stripping plant and other supporting infrastructures.”
Kavo said he had been advised that additional wells would be drilled in the Elk/Antelope gas fields to give the companies a better definition on reserves.
“This will provide more jobs for my province,” he said.
The governor said that he was also in the process of setting up a provincial working committee to work with InterOil and ExxonMobil to support the project.
He reiterated that Gulf’s gas resources must be developed in the province and his provincial government would support InterOil and ExxonMobil.