Project records highest output

THE Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas (PNG LNG) project recorded its highest production and best safety performance since operation began, despite challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic, outgoing ExxonMobil PNG managing director Andrew Barry says.
Barry said despite the Covid-19 challenges, the team achieved record LNG production levels, delivering the company’s best safety performance since production commenced while continuing to meet environmental and social commitments.
“EMPNG has completed over 70 million hours of work since production began and had no lost time incidents for more than three years, with no significant process safety events for almost seven years,” he said.
“A significant milestone was achieved on Sept 1 with EMPNG’s first shift fully managed and operated by qualified Papua New Guineans workers.
“This included the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant and Pipeline operations supervisors, and control room, field and pipeline technicians.”
According to the annual PNG LNG environmental and social report released last month, the PNG LNG workforce consisted of 2,784 employees and contractors by the end of 2020.
This was reduced from 3,964 workers at the end of 2019 due to the suspension of some upstream area project as a result of travel and restrictions caused by the pandemic.
Ninety-one per cent of Papua New Guineans make up the total PNG LNG project workforce.
EMPNG invested K8.4 million in local communities through contributions, sponsorships, in-kind support and community-based projects in 2020.
This included renewing the PNG LNG project’s contract with ANU Enterprise Proprietary Ltd to continue the community livelihood improvement project (Clip), which began in 2015.
Clip is helping to provide financial independence and improve standards of living for communities in Hides, Juni, Nogoli, Angore and Komo through training and support in areas such as nutrition, financial literacy and farming techniques.
Last year also saw the completion of the five-year head start conservation programme funded by EMPNG and coordinated by the Port Moresby Nature Park.
More than 5,400 community engagements were conducted last year, with almost 2,000 formal and about 3,400 informal engagements with 36,650 stakeholders.
Community engagements were undertaken in accordance with Covid-19 safe practices and most of the engagements regarded raising awareness about Covid-19.
A further K57.4 million was invested in local infrastructure through infrastructure tax credit projects.
More than K10 billion has also been invested in community initiatives and local infrastructure since construction began.
EMPNG’s new managing director Peter Larden thanked Barry for his leadership over the last six years which had left a legacy behind.
“I look forward to building upon the standards he and EMPNG have set to further cement PNG’s reputation as a world class LNG producer and to be able to contribute in a sustainable and meaningful way to enhancing the communities in which we operate and the nation of PNG,” he said.