Hides leader protects waste deal

HIDES gas landowners in Southern Highlands have renewed calls for ExxonMobil and Oil Search to clarify the national content plan for landowner companies to be given first preference in spin-off business activities in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
Chairman of Hides Waste Management Ltd (HWML) Thomas Potape also reiterated that waste management in the Hides project areas was non-negotiable issue. That activity would be undertaken by HWML.
Potape was responding to Trans Wonderland managing director Larry Andagali’s outburst in the media claiming that he was being used by politicians.
He said HWML, upon formal granting of a level three permit by the Department of Environment and Conservation, would proceed with waste treatment and waste disposal activities within the project areas of Hides PDL1, Hides PDL 7, Angore, Juha and the airport and Hides conditioning plant areas.
“HWML has technical capacity with reputable overseas joint venture partner and financial capacity to invest K10 million in this project,” Potape said.
“We, as legitimate landowners, will safeguard this project as long as HWML is embraced by the developer and major contractors involved in early works and major construction works of the LNG operations facilities.
“We will also adopt the developers (PNG LNG project) waste management plans as approved by the DEC in our waste management strategy.
“We have a Hides waste management plan and environment management plan in place to be submitted to the DEC as part of the permit approval requirement.”
Potape said his comments in The National last Monday were directed towards the developers, Esso Highlands, Oil Search, major contractors CCJV and MCJV and other sub-contractors that HWML had the capacity to be considered in the waste management strategy during the construction phase.
He said the national content plan must be seen to deliver business spin-off opportunities for landowner companies that had the capacity to be key partners in the different phases of the gas project.
He said Andagali’s comments were degrading to him and his position and to the people of Komo and all landowner groups under HGDC as he was the chairman of HWML, president of Komo LLG, principal and wellhead owner of PDL 7 gas field, a signatory to the Kokopo UBSA, Hides LBSA and a leader of the Hagu clan of Hides PDL 7 wellhead.
Potape, in setting the record straight, said the managing director of Trans Wonderland was not a genuine landowner of the Hides gasfields and, as such, did not have the mandate to recognise and invite outside companies into the Hides gasfield areas.
He said his media statement did not mention Trans Wonderland or, in anyway, undermine ECE-TPI joint venture or its capacity to do the job
“But, what is Trans Wonderland and Andagali’s interest in this waste management project within the Hides gasfield areas?
“Trans Wonderland and its joint venture partners are not welcome into the Hides upstream project areas (from Juha to the Benaria pipeline area).
“This confirms that Andagali is building a team of outsiders to run our landowner businesses.
Potape also claimed that Hides landowners had lost substantial businesses – from Hides gas to gas electricity projects – to outsiders when Andagali was the managing director of Gigira Development Corporation.
He said the managing director of ECE was not a signatory to the Kokopo UBSA and Hides LBSA agreements.
“The companies ECE-TPI joint venture and Trans Wonderland are not recognised by Hides landowners.
“Trans Wonderland is an oil-based transport company and a subsidiary of HGDC Ltd, so be warned not to come into our gasfields and look for jobs that we are capable of performing under approved waste management regimes that are in place.”
Potape also called for a formal printed retraction of those unendorsed comments and a formal apology by Andagali.
“We will take this opportunity to make it absolutely clear that there is an existing HWML, that under no circumstances will an outside company be allowed into the project areas of Hides PDL1, Hides PDL7, Angore, Komo Airport facility and Hides conditioning plant area.”
“With regard to deemed political influence, I must stress that Andagali and Dennis Kai are failed politicians and I am not being influenced by any politicians like them.
“We want ExxonMobil and Oil Search to tell us under what arrangement is the ECE-TPI joint venture been brought into this business spin-off opportunity.”
He said HWML belonged to the owners of Hides PDL7 wellhead and quarries within the area and, under the national content plan, had the first preference in this business opportunity.