Landowners to push for security and catering contracts with ExxonMobil

By SHEILA LASIBORI
INCORPORATED land groups in Southern Highlands province have vowed to push for security and catering contracts in the upcoming liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
They claimed recently they have been providing security for the last 15 years at project sites and have been trained in catering so they are prepared to provide these services and give jobs to the locals, Tony Kila, a land group leader from Moran, said.
He also called on project developer ExxonMobil to reveal the gas project’s national content plan (NCP), especially right down to the respective project sites.
“When will they put this plan in Hides and here (Kutubu) so we can see?” he asked during the inauguration of the Trans Wonderland Ltd (TWL), a transport company owned by landowners which won a three-year contract from Oil Search Ltd – the second major partner in the LNG project.
Another leader, Lamsen Mapiria from Hides, also called on project developers and investors to travel to the project sites and deal with the landowners.
“They do not have to hang around in Port Moresby’s hotels entertaining individual landowner companies.
“They must look at the people, the project areas and visit the site because whatever the revenue that they generate from the projects will benefit the landowners and safeguard the projects … if they do not do that, then the project’s security is at risk,” Mr Mapiria said.
However, Esso Highlands Ltd, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil and operator of the project, said: “The national content plan of the project has been provided to the Government and business opportunities have been discussed with landowners in project areas.
“In fact, we have already reached an agreement with one group to create an umbrella landowner company and are working with others at this time,” Stuart Symons, a spokesman for Esso, said in response to the claims.
Mr Symons said apart from several meetings with Government officials on the plan, more talks with landowners on the issue would continue through road shows where community affairs village liaison officers would lead.
“These communication exercises would take place in the villages and not in Port Moresby,” Mr Symons said.
Samuel Koyama, manager for upstream field community affairs at Kutubu, had said the plan had three parts: 1) the supply development which covered business development; 2) the workforce development which looked at how nationals could be employed on the project including jobs on contract; and 3) the strategic community investment.