Landowner groups given recognition in LNG project

 LANDOWNER groups from the Kairu’u tribe in Gulf have thanked InterOil for recognising them in the Elk Antelope Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project.

Chairman Lawson Pirika, who represented the other landowner villages, said InterOil had already completed social mapping for the Purari and Delta communities.

He said the social mapping had identified six villages as landowners in the Elk Antelope LNG project in Baimuru. 

It includes the villages of Era Maipua, Ipako, Kemei, Kairu’u, Evara and Poroi.

“We thank Elly Kinkin and Vincent Kewibu and their fourth-year Anthropology students at the University of Papua New Guinea for their time and effort in assisting and making this social mapping successful.

“We have already formed associations and business groups to represent us in any development forums or licence-based area agreements in the near future.

“We are organised and give an open invitation to InterOil and its partner ExxonMobil to cooperate with us during the construction phase,” he said. 

Women’s representative Millie Saifoloi said they were grateful to InterOil and the UPNG students for the first phase of the project and were looking forward to working closely with them.