P’nyang LNG a standalone project, says petroleum minister

PETROLEUM Minister Dr Fabian Pok has made it clear that the P’nyang LNG project in Western will be a “standalone” project.
He was replying to a question from South Fly MP James Donald in Parliament on Friday over a statement made by ExxonMobil in The National which stated that P’nyang LNG would be an expansion of existing gas fields in Western.
Donald said the statement contradicted an earlier statement by Pok stating that the P’nyang LNG would be a standalone project.
He said the people of Western wanted the P’nyang LNG project to be a standalone project and not an expansion of other existing gas fields operated by ExxonMobil.
Pok said the Government stand at the beginning was always to have the P’nyang LNG as a standalone project.
He said the statement by ExxonMobil was based on their investment interest and not on project operations in terms of having P’nyang connected to other gas fields in Western. “That does not mean P’nyang will be connected to the other gas fields in Western,” Pok said.
“ExxonMobil’s statement is based on their investment interest as they have 37.1 per cent interest in the P’nyang project.
“The Government stand is clear at the beginning and we have always maintained that P’nyang will be a standalone project.”