Sonk: Gulf LNG under-discovered

 NATIONAL Petroleum Company of PNG (NPCP) managing director Wapu Sonk – who was part of the visiting team to the InterOil operated gas fields in Gulf – is impressed with the drilling activities.

He said InterOil’s recent discovery at the Raptor well, 12 kilometres from the main Elk-Antelope fields demonstrated that Gulf was under-explored and had huge potential to surpass the previous oil and gas discoveries in the Highlands, Western and offshore Gulf areas. 

As the state nominee, Sonk said NPCP would play a role in working with all the partners to encourage the acceleration of resource development in any economical manner.

He reiterated Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban and said the government and people expect Total, InterOil and Oil Search to work together with the state to develop the gas fields in Gulf for the second LNG project.

Sonk said that there were sufficient gas reserves for train three and possible PNG LNG project expansion.

He said this puts PNG at the crossroads now in making the right decision on how it optimise and prioritise the development of its resources, which should include reservation of gas for power generation and diversification into petrochemical industry.