SYDNEY, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A blockade around ExxonMobil's key Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) conditioning plant in Papua New Guinea has been lifted following an agreement between aggrieved landowners and the central government.
Landowners in Papua New Guinea's (PNG's) Hela Province had restricted access to the key asset partially supplying the 19-billion-U.S. dollar PNG LNG project, demanding government authorities to pay over 2 billion Kina (631,000 U.S. dollars) owed royalties currently held in trust.
Local PNG media reported on Friday the aggrieved landowners and the central government signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the clan vetting process completed and incorporated land groups established within 30 days. Royalties will then be transferred to the respective rights holders.
"We appreciate the efforts of the government and landowners to help bring this matter to a peaceful resolution," an ExxonMobil spokeswoman told Xinhua in a statement on Friday.
It was reported that protestors had managed to take control of the gas conditioning plant and limit some supply to the PNG LNG export terminal; however, Xinhua was unable to independently verify the claims. ExxonMobil said they were able to meet contractual obligations during the blockade.
Though the agreement has been signed, landowners are still sceptical as to whether the deal which includes millions of dollars worth of provincial development commitments will actually be honoured.
"If the government doesn't really fulfil their responsibilities according to what they have signed as a memorandum of understanding; if the government doesn't continue to fulfil it might cause a blockade again," Isaac Pulupe told broadcaster Radio New Zealand on Friday.
The spokeswoman for ExxonMobil told Xinhua that "we remain committed to doing all we can to assist the (PNG) Department of Petroleum and Energy in its efforts to ensure landowners receive royalty and equity dividends as soon as practicable."
