ExxonMobil has announced that production of liquefied natural gas has safely resumed at its LNG project in Papua New Guinea.
ExxonMobil PNG Photo: RNZ Pacific
This comes after the shutdown forced by a severe earthquake in the region in late February.
Exports of LNG are expected to resume soon.
Earlier this week the company had indicated it would be May before it resumed production.
The president of the ExxonMobil Production comany, Neil Duffin, said re-starting LNG production ahead of the company's projected eight-week timeframe was a significant achievement.
ExxonMobil PNG’s Managing Director Andrew Barry (centre right) and Community Affairs Coordinator Mohammed Paul (centre left) packing goods at the Salvation Army. Photo: supplied
P'nyang expansion concept
ExxonMobil has found that the gas reserves in its P'nyang field in PNG's Western Province are 84 percent higher than it previously thought.
The company said this opened the potential to expand the P'nyang field facilities for the PNG LNG foundation project.
The president of ExxonMobil Development Company Liam Mallon said the increase in the estimated resource size of the P'nyang field helped illustrate the tremendous growth opportunities for the company's operations in PNG.
"This investment would extend our gas pipeline infrastructure into the country's Western Province and have a meaningful and lasting economic impact for Papua New Guinea and its people," Mallon said.
ExxonMobil PNG volunteers packing food supplies to be sent to Moro Photo: supplied