LNG

Papua New Guinea (PNG) LNG partners – notably Santos and ExxonMobil – have approved a final investment decision to tie in the Agogo production facility in a bid to bolster feedstock and sustain LNG exports to 2028, and beyond.

Australian oil giant Santos is targeting a roughly US$27 billion capital spend for its integrated Papua LNG–PNG LNG expansion hub in Papua New Guinea, with up to three-fifths to be covered by debt finance.

Santos has been jolted by a setback as Abu-Dhabi’s state-backed XRG walked away from $30 billion tie-up. The breakdown shatters Santos’ expectations to secure capital for expansion projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Oil Search, the Australian-listed Papua New Guinea LNG shareholder with a stake in the expansion project, plans to write off up to $US400 million, mostly on exploration assets and a gas-to-power project in PNG due to the outlook for oil and gas prices.

The PNG-focused oil and gas company will record a non-cash, pre-tax charge of between $US360M ($A518 million) and $US400M ($A576M) in its half-year results that would not impact its cash earnings, according to a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

Oil Search said that a strategic review found that a number of assets in PNG were now of low priority either due to lower prospectivity or less than optimum project economics and as a result, would not be currently pursued.

The LNG plant, located northwest of the capital Port Moresby, produced at an annualised rate of 8.7 million tonnes per annum in the first three months of 2020, Oil Search noted in its first quarter earnings.

“Oil Search has assessed the carrying value of the company’s assets for impairment as at 30 June 2020, in accordance with the relevant accounting standards and after taking into account the potential longer-term impact of prevailing economic conditions and the outlook for oil and gas prices,” said the company.

“The impairments that are expected to be recognised largely relate to PNG exploration licences,” explained the PNG-based company whose other main assets are in Alaska.

“As part of the Strategic Review currently underway and in line with the company’s commitment to prioritising capital allocation, a number of exploration and evaluation assets in PNG have been identified as being of reduced priority due to lower prospectivity or sub-optimal economics,” explained the report signed by Oil Search Managing Director Keiran Wulff.

“As there is no current intention to pursue activities on these assets, the full value of these exploration assets is expected to be written down,” he stated.

“An immaterial impairment relating to exploration leases in Alaska, which are scheduled to be relinquished, also is anticipated,” he explained.

Oil Search has previously said it was well placed to withstand a prolonged period of oil price weakness and advance its growth projects when market conditions improve.

The company noted in its previous earnings that formal negotiations had been suspended in January 2020 on the LNG expansion between ExxonMobil, on behalf of the P'nyang co-venturers, of which it is part, and the PNG Government.

“Given the ongoing gas supply uncertainties resulting from the recent suspension of mining activities at the Porgera Project (gold mine), the carrying value of the Hides Gas-to-Electricity Project is also expected to be fully impaired,” said Wulff.

“The expected impairment expense is a non-cash item and will not impact cash earnings or cashflow,” he added.
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“The final impairment expense to be recognised is subject to the finalisation of the half-year accounts and completion of the half-year review by the company’s auditor,” stated Wulff.

The two existing LNG Trains at the PNG plant have a nameplate capacity of 6.9 MTPA, though have consistently produced more and will be the site of any future expansion.

Three new liquefaction Trains are proposed in the delayed expansion plan.

The five Trains when operational would have capacity of nearly 20 MTPA and would give PNG a more substantial role as a regional producer.

The P’nyang gas field licence, controlled by PNG LNG plant operator ExxonMobil, also includes Australian-listed Santos as well as Oil Search.

The separate Papua Gas Agreement for other feed-gas resources has already been approved and signed.

This comprises holders of the onshore PNG Elk-Antelope gas field licence, led by Total and also including shareholders in the P’nyang field lease, ExxonMobil as well as Oil Search.

Elk-Antelope onshore gas fields are covered by petroleum retention licence PRL15 and by the Papua Gas Agreement and the P’nyang onshore gas fields are in the PRL3 licence area of PNG.

Oil Search, the stakeholder in the Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas plant and its expansion project, posted strong annual results with increased net profits and revenues as PNG headed for a final agreement by the end of March on building three new processing Trains.

ASX-listed Horizon Oil has just finalised the engineering concept on its Western LNG development in Papua New Guinea. The 1.5 mpta project will generate US$20-30 billion in revenues over its lifetime, according to Horizon’s new CEO Michael Sheridan.

ExxonMobil Corp., operator of the Papua New Guinea LNG export plant, said production has partially resumed ahead of schedule following a temporary shutdown of operations when associated infrastructure was damaged in the February 26 earthquake.

Jan 23 (LNGJ) - Oil Search, the Australian-listed company with a stake in the Papua New Guinea LNG plant and its expansion project, said its full-year production was 30.31 million barrels of oil equivalent, its highest ever. PNG LNG production at an annualised rate was 8.3 million tonnes per annum, despite upgrading work carried out in October on the compressor at the plant, operated by ExxonMobil. Oil Search said its fourth-quarter revenue was US$389 million and the average realised gas and LNG price was US$7.86 per million British thermal units. Managing Director Peter Botten commented: “ExxonMobil, on behalf of the PNG LNG project participants, completed its evaluation of proposals received for the additional 1.3 MTPA of LNG being marketed. Oil Search expects the joint venture to sign binding contracts during the first half of 2018.”

Oil Search, a stakeholder in the Papua New Guinea LNG export plant and its expansion project, reported record production at the plant northwest of Port Moresby and operated by partner ExxonMobil.

Oil Search, a stakeholder in the Papua New Guinea LNG export plant and its expansion project, has agreed to acquire 30 percent of five licences held by ExxonMobil, operator of the PNG plant near the capital Port Moresby.