Interoil dumped by PNG Government, Royal Dutch Shell given thumbs up.
DUMPED IT is official. Royal Dutch Shell Plc is the government’s preferred operator for the InterOil discovered Elk and Antelope gas fields in Gulf. This was categorically stated yesterday following recent exchanges in the media between InterOil and Petroleum Minister William Duma over the size of the second LNG project, its location and who should develop it. InterOil was pursuing a small-scale fragmented project as opposed to its original agreement with the state for a large LNG plant to be developed by an internationally recognised operator. Acting Petroleum and Energy secretary Rendle Rimua said in a statement that Shell was in a strategic partnership with the state-owned Petromin PNG Holdings Ltd “and is the state’s preferred operator”. He said a National Executive Council submission acknowledged that “Shell is a strategic partner with the state’s nominee, Petromin”. WELCOME Rimua said his minister, Duma, had taken this position which had been endorsed by the NEC and “