2 Dec 2008

PNG's liquefied natural gas project remains on track

11:18 am on 2 December 2008

Papua New Guinea's liquefied natural gas project remains on track to secure its funding despite the impact of the global financial crisis.

ExxonMobil has a 41.5 per cent stake in the PNG LNG project, and is partnered by Oil Search Ltd, Santos and AGL Energy Ltd.

The project is the largest private investment in PNG, and has an estimated benefit of over $30 billion to the local economy over its 30-year lifespan.

ExxonMobil's LNG venture manager Peter Graham told the PNG Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference in Sydney that about 70 lenders would visit the proposed LNG facility sites in January next year.

He says they continue to look for ways to protect the project from the global financial uncertainties.

The project is currently in its front-end engineering and design, or FEED, phase and remains on track to deliver its first LNG cargo in late 2013 or early 2014.