ExxonMobil Rejects Blame for PNG Quake

ExxonMobil has categorically denied any responsibility for the recent earthquake in Papua New Guinea following media reports that there has been a push in PNG’s parliament to launch an inquiry investigating whether gas operators had any role in it. The quake led to the shut-in since then of production  at the PNG LNG export plant that the US supermajor operates.

“Scientific and geological evidence indicates that the earthquake was a natural phenomenon,” an ExxonMobil spokesperson said. “The view is supported by geological agencies and experts in Australia and the United States, including the US Geological Survey and seismologists at the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne,” they said via email April 6.

Media agency Loop PNG reported April 5 that North Fly MP, James Donald, called on PNG prime minister Peter O’Neill for an inquiry into the causes of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake which hit the country February 26. The inquiry would be responsible for the possibility of criminal and civil implications on operators of the major gas projects if the earthquake was artificially induced, Loop reported.

It reported that in a series of questions in Parliament on April 4 that Donald asked the prime minister that the independent report be tabled in Parliament and actions taken if the earthquake cause was man-made. He also called for a Damages Trust Fund to be set up by oil and gas project developers and operators, Loop reported.

A transcript of PNG’s April 4 Parliament session was not yet available at the time of writing and James Donald was not available for comment.

The ExxonMobil spokesperson went on to say: “The entire PNG Highlands, including where the PNG LNG project is located, is near the fault line where the Australia tectonic plate converges with the Pacific tectonic plate. Seismic activity in this area goes back millions of years and long predates oil and natural gas operations”.

“Earthquakes with thirteen 7.5+ magnitude have been recorded in this area since recording began in 1900. Hydraulic fracturing is not used by the PNG LNG project,” they said.

“The earthquake took place at a depth far below the depths of the oil and gas wells in the area, and on a deeper and different fault to those associated with any PNG oil and gas fields. The centre of the earthquake occurred more than 20 km below ground and was located about 9 km southwest of our operations. By contrast, our wells and gas fields are no more than 4 km deep,” they added.

Oil Search was not available for immediate comment.