Exxon puts force majeure on exports from quake-hit Papua LNG project

TOKYO / Reuters

ExxonMobil Corp has declared force majeure on exports from its Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which has been shut since a powerful earthquake, an industry source familiar with the matter said. At least 31 people were killed by the 7.5 magnitude quake, and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has declared a state of emergency across the remote highlands region as rescuers struggle to reach villages buried by landslides. Exxon shut its $19 billion LNG facility, the country’s biggest export earner, amid fears of damage to gas field infrastructure and the pipeline that carries gas to the coast. A company spokeswoman reiterated that the company was focussing on assessing damage from the earthquake, a process that “is expected to take time particularly given the damage to roads and other infrastructure.”