In This Article:
* Papua LNG pact needed for $13 bln gas expansion project
* Government review sought more benefits from Papua LNG
* Total commits to consider potential future benefits
* Oil Search shares rise 2% in flat market (Adds Oil Search comment on economy)
By Sonali Paul
MELBOURNE, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea said on Tuesday it will honour a gas deal that Total SA signed with a previous government for a $13 billion plan to expand gas exports, after securing minor concessions from the French company.
The decision removes uncertainty over the plan to double liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the Pacific nation that arose after new Prime Minister James Marape came to power in May promising to win more benefits for the impoverished country.
The Papua LNG gas agreement is one of two agreements needed for Total and its partners, Exxon Mobil Corp and Oil Search Ltd, to go ahead with the LNG expansion plan.
"The government has now cleared Total to proceed full steam ahead with the implementation of the Papua Gas Project," Petroleum Minister Kerenga Kua said in a statement.
Doubts about the gas deal escalated in August, when the government suddenly called for talks to revise the agreement.
Kua said Total had made some concessions, promising to prepare a detailed plan outlining how much local equipment and services would be used in the project and to negotiate with any third party wanting access to the project's petroleum pipelines.
It would also be willing to negotiate for Papua New Guinea to take a stake in the pipelines after the state has repaid all its loans and costs on the project, and would consider buying LNG carriers in a joint venture with the state.
"Most of these are substantial new concessions on potential future benefits," Kua said.
The companies had insisted that the Papua LNG gas agreement that Total signed in April should be honoured, and Oil Search warned in August that costs on the project could rise if it was delayed by prolonged talks.
An analyst said the government had capitulated to Total, winning only non-committal offers to consider future steps that might benefit the country.
"This is a big win for the industry, but they can't say that, because they need to let the prime minister and Kua save a little political face," said the analyst, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The three companies welcomed the government's decision.
"We are looking forward to working with the Government of PNG to conclude the required gas agreement for the P’nyang project," Exxon Mobil said in an emailed comment, referring to the second of the two agreements needed.