Villagers leave Gobe gas site

By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI
ESSO Highlands Ltd yesterday confirmed that a group of landowners had unlawfully occupied a LNG project site at Gobe in the Gulf province where they damaged a number of vehicles, construction equipment and camp facilities.
The group occupied the site for about two weeks leading up to the Christmas and New Year festive season but had since departed the camp site.
The occupiers have stated that their primary issue is government commitments related to oil project memorandums of agreement.
The Department of Petroleum and Energy (DPE) had met with the group on three different occasions to discuss these issues.
“It was disappointing that the PNG LNG Project has been targeted in an attempt to resolve legacy issues,” spokesperson Rebecca Arnold said. 
“The people unlawfully occupying the camp damaged a number of vehicles, construction equipment, and camp facilities,” she said.
“Safety and security is a core value of Esso Highlands Ltd, and we are committed to providing a safe workplace.”
Arnold said PNG LNG project encouraged continued cooperation between communities, the government and the project to constructively address issues as they arose, without impact to ongoing project activities.
Meanwhile, she also gave an update of construction work on the PNG LNG project at the various sections of the vast project that covers three provinces – Central, Gulf and Southern Highlands.
She said on the Hides gas conditioning plant (HGCP):
l    The 90% design review of the HGCP was complete. Construction at the HGCP progressed with the installation of a waste management area that included waste segregation bays and a hazardou­s material sto­rage area. 
l    The first HGCP foundation piles were received on site and piling had begun.
Komo Airfield:
l    Earth moving activities continue, with lower rainfall contributing to improved work rates. Lighter earth moving equipment, which was better suited to the wet conditions at Komo, also arrived on site during the quarter.
Onshore pipeline:
l    Despite record rainfall in the area surrounding the Kopi Shore Base, construction of the onshore pipeline continued with almost all of the onshore pipeline route surveyed and 103km prepared for pipe stringing and welding activities.
l    Over 30km of pipeline stringing and welding were completed in third quarter 2011.
l    The onshore pipeline contractor also began the first major river pipeline crossing at Kikori River.
The pipeline will be placed below the river using horizontal directional drilling techniques – a trenchless method of installing pipelines which achieves minimal surface and river disruption. It involves drilling a large diameter borehole beneath the river and pulling the pipeline through.
Offshore pipeline:
l    The onshore pipeline trench at the Caution Bay landfall site had been completed. Near-shore trenching also began in Caution Bay. The pipeline shore pull was completed.
l    A major milestone was the completion and delivery of all offshore line pipe from the production facility in Japan to the pipe coating facility and load out area in Malaysia. This offshore line pipe supply consisted of 212,000 tonnes of line pipe, measuring 414km in length.
LNG plant and marine facilities:
l    Significant progress had been achieved with construction activities at the LNG Plant site. The first concrete foundation had been poured for the LNG tanks, while excavations for train two foundations had begun. More than 100 tonnes of structural steel had been erected on the train 1 pipe racks.
l    Piling for the marine jetty had advanced, with 25 of 100 concrete piles completed. Piling of the LNG loading platform was completed and a temporary tower crane installed at the platform.