LNG clans open accounts

Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) started an account-opening exercise on Friday for clans living along the corridors of the PNG LNG projects.
Eight segments identified under ministerial determination are located along 290km of onshore pipeline in Hela, Southern Highlands, Gulf and Central.
Per advice of the Department of Petroleum and Energy, MRDC is now in the process of rolling out its programme starting in segment 7, bordering Gulf and Southern Highlands. Segment 7 has the longest length of pipeline running through it, covering 37 clans who together hold a 44 per cent interest.
This process will see that landowner royalty and equity payments from the PNG LNG Project.
The exercise will be carried out with support of Department of Petroleum and Energy, ExxonMobil, Oil Search, Bank South Pacific and Electoral Commission.
It will be rolled out in three phases over three weeks starting with an awareness programme.
This will be followed by bank account opening, and election of landowner directors to the company representing pipeline landowners, Gas Resources PNGLNG Pipeline Ltd, to follow in the third week.
Mineral Resources Development Company has conducted several alignment meetings with key stakeholders including, Department of Petroleum, Oil Search, ExxonMobil and Kumul Petroleum to understand the issues and to plan the account-opening exercise.
“We have completed the assessment of issues and my officers are now on the ground in Kikori to commence this exercise,” managing director Augustine Mano, pictured, said.
He said as per the Oil and Gas Act, any clans with disputes would be left out of this exercise.
“All those clans who currently have court orders will not be part of the exercise,” Mano said,
“We will skip those clans and move only to those segments that are ready.”
Mano said there were two important parts to this exercise: Opening of bank accounts and election of directors to the board.
“All beneficiaries will be part of this open and transparent process in their communities.
“I urge all clan chairmen to align themselves within their segment this week before the second and third phase begins. This way there will be no further delays.”