State supporting Total’s decision

THE Government is supporting Total SA’s decision to build the plant for the second LNG project at Caution Bay in Central and not in Gulf.
Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban (pictured), explained this in Parliament on Thursday when Kairuku Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo queried whether the plant would be located near Caution Bay, given the opposition to it from Gulf Governor Havila Kavo.
Duban said Total SA had chosen Caution Bay and Government respected the project developer’s decision.
“In any major projects, choices made by companies to nominate locations is all driven by project economics. This year, the final investment decision will be made. As Government, we are supporting Total, we respect its decision, we think that’s the right decision they have made,” he said.
“Caution Bay will remain as the selected location.”
Total E&P PNG Limited managing director Phillipe Blanchard told a breakfast meeting in Port Moresby on Thursday that the decision to pick Caution Bay would remain.
He said it was the best location they found, after checking 14 sites and conducting studies on each.
“At the end, the best location is Caution Bay close to Port Moresby,” he said.