Media reports said the protesters had given the government a seven-day deadline to pay royalties to landowners or they would forcefully shutter the operation. Landowner groups could not immediately be reached for comment.
ExxonMobil is the operator of the 6.9 million tonne per annum LNG project, partly located in the restive Highlands region of Papua New Guinea.
Its agreement with the government sets aside a 2% royalty for landowners, to be held in trust by the government until they have vetted the clans that claim to own the land.
