Liquid Niugini LNG Scales Down Initial Plans

摘要

With Exxon Mobil progressing its sanctioned $15 billion Papua New Guinea LNG project, all eyes are turned to its rival start-up at Liquid Niugini LNG (EIF Jan.6,p3). That mooted 8 million ton/yr project outsizes the 6.6 million ton/yr facility initially envisioned under Exxon, but Liquid Niugini is the brainchild of two companies — New York-listed, Papua New Guinea-focused InterOil and Swiss investment firm Clarion Finanz (via its Pacific LNG affiliate) — sporting market capitalizations just a fraction of Exxon's. And while the group has recently inked key partnerships to help fund the massive development, indications are that plans are not quite going as expected, with a smaller, scaled development now touted by partnership management and the talk of big-time majors or national oil companies jumping on board noticeably absent from management's most recent comments.