First cargo shipped from $19bn PNG LNG project

26th May 2014 By: Esmarie Iannucci - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

First cargo shipped from $19bn PNG LNG project

Photo by: Bloomberg

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The $19-billion Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas (PNG LNG) project has shipped its first cargo, bound for Japan.

The PNG LNG project started production in April this year, ahead of schedule. Production from the second train has also started.

The PNG LNG project is an integrated development that includes gas production and processing facilities in the Southern Highlands, Hela, Western, Gulf and Central provinces of Papua New Guinea.

More than 700 km of pipeline connect the facilities, which include a gas conditioning plant in Hides and liquefaction and storage facilities near Port Moresby with capacity of 6.9-million tonnes a year.

Project partner Santos said on Monday that the successful completion and first cargo from the PNG LNG project marked the beginning of the company’s transformational growth.

“A key part of Santos’ growth strategy is the successful delivery of our transformational LNG portfolio. Santos is well and truly a key player in the LNG market and the shipment from PNG LNG only strengthens our position as a major and competitive LNG supplier to Asia,” said Santos MD David Knox.

“The first cargo from PNG LNG is not only a significant milestone for Santos, but also for operator ExxonMobil and Papua New Guinea. This is Papua New Guinea’s largest resource project to date and has taken over 91-million work hours to complete.”

Santos holds a 13.5% interest in the PNG LNG project, with ExxonMobil acting as the operator of the joint venture (JV). Other JV partners include Oil Search, National Petroleum Company of PNG, JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration, Mineral Resources Development Company and Petromin PNG Holdings.