ExxonMobil and Oil Search are putting as much effort into helping some of the earthquake-devastated local communities in Papua New Guinea as they are into restoring production from the PNG LNG project, writes Russell Searancke.

Oil Search this week referred to the earthquake as a "catastrophic" event, and said it was co-ordinating "part of a massive relief effort" to communities in Hela, Southern Highlands and Western Provinces, where the magnitude 7.5