French energy group Total said it had agreed with the Papua New Guinea government to proceed with an LNG project, which had been delayed due to the pandemic, in the country with a final investment decision due in 2023.
Total added in a statement on May 5 that it would remobilize teams involved in the project.
“I am honored to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea in our head offices in Paris to review the Papua LNG implementation plan. This is indeed a very strong signal of the dedication of the PNG government to the success of this key project,” Total Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne said.
Total and its partners Exxon Mobil Corp. and Oil Search Ltd. had initially planned to develop Papua LNG in tandem with an expansion of Exxon’s PNG LNG in a $13 billion project adding three new production units at the PNG LNG plant, to help save billions of dollars.
However, Exxon has not agreed to terms sought by the Papua New Guinea government for the P’nyang gas development that was going to help feed the expansion, as Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape pushed for bigger benefits for the country from the deal.
Instead, Total’s Papua LNG project will go ahead with two new production units to be built at the PNG LNG site, fed by the Elk Antelope gas fields, Marape said in February.
Recommended Reading
Big Spenders: EPA Touts Billions in Clean Energy Spending
2025-01-15 - Nearly $69 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been dispersed by the Environmental Protection Agency in its clean energy push.
US Supreme Court Should Avoid Climate Change Cases, Biden Administration Says
2024-12-11 - The Biden administration is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject efforts by oil companies to prevent lawsuits accusing the fossil fuel producers of deceiving the public about climate change.
New York to Fine Fossil Fuel Companies $75B Under New Climate Law
2024-12-26 - New York state will fine fossil fuel companies a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years to pay for damage caused to the climate.
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of FERC-Permitted Indiana NatGas Line
2025-01-08 - “As night follows day, an environmental challenge follows the approval of a natural gas pipeline,” a Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit panel said in ruling in favor of a Boardwalk Pipeline expansion project.
US Offshore Driller Asks Judge to Block Insurers' Demands for $250MM Collateral
2024-12-12 - W&T Offshore has asked a federal judge to block insurance companies' demands for $250 million.