Construction at gas project in full swing: Esso H’lands

By PATRICK TALU
THE multi-billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project moved into full execution phase last March and is currently at the earliest stages of the four-year construction period.The environmental and social verification and monitoring systems and reporting protocols are also at an early stage of implementation.According to an executive summary statement from Esso Highlands Ltd managing director Peter Graham yesterday, much of the project activity would occur under six engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts being executed by some of the industry’s leading contractors.Graham said to date only one of the EPC contractors for the Komo airfield had commenced field construction activity, while the other EPC contractors remain in the execution planning phase.Additional to the EPC contracts, construction contracts were awarded last year for a programme of infrastructure upgrades in advance of the main construction activities in the Gulf and Southern Highlands provinces.Graham said the upstream infrastructure element of this programme incorporates civil works in the areas of Hides and Kutubu, upgrade and construction of new roads and bridges, construction of training facilities and camp construction, extension and refurbishment.Another contract covers early works at the LNG plant site and nearby area.Contracting is in advanced stages for two newly-built drilling rigs to drill and complete the project wells.Graham stressed that the recruitment and development of qualified Papua New Guinean citizens is a key component of the “project’s national content plan (NCP)”.“The strategy is to maximise the number of local employment opportunities, to in-crease the ratio of national employees over the life span of the project and to train them in the technical and professional skills necessary for working on existing, and future, projects and operations.”