Political tempest — but PNG LNG project is on track says Botten

By Russell Searancke

 24 February 2012 01:33 GMT

Papua New Guinea’s Oil Search has highlighted some of the challenges that lie ahead this year for the US$15.7 billion PNG liquefied natural gas project as its moves into peak construction .

Oil Search is the operator of all Papua New Guinea’s producing fields and owns a 29% non-operating stake in PNG LNG.

The company’s chief executive Peter Botten has been with the company for 20 years and has witnessed the country’s tempestuous and unstable democracy in action.

In the last six months, two men — Michael Somare and Peter O’Neill — have simultaneously claimed to be Prime Minister in a power struggle that should end after the national elections this June.

Botten said Papua New Guinea had experienced “unprecedented political uncertainty over the past six…

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