Natural Gas News – March 21, 2018

Exxon Still Assessing Damage to Papua New Guinea Natural Gas Facilities

Reuters reported: A senior Exxon Mobil Corp executive said on Wednesday the company is still assessing damage to its natural gas processing plant in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, knocked out by a strong earthquake last month. A powerful 7.5 magnitude quake struck near Exxon’s Hides facility on Feb. 25, killing dozens of people and halting production at the site. The temblor damaged power infrastructure and also led to the closure of the Komo jungle airfield, making access to the remote facility difficult. Several aftershocks, as well as the remoteness of the gas field and processing plant – more than 700 kilometers from the export facility near the capital, Port Moresby – have made it difficult to assess and repair any damage, making it unclear when production and exports can resume. Prior to the shutdown, Exxon’s Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas (PNG LNG) export project, had been producing at about 20 percent above its nominal capacity of 6.9 million tonnes a year. For more on this story visit reuters.com or click http://reut.rs/2G1o6nJ

Officials Tout Natural Gas Resources

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reported: The Marcellus and Utica shale natural gas deposits throughout the Appalachia region have the potential to change the natural gas industry in North America, officials said. Officials with Shale Crescent USA are at the World Petrochemical Conference this week in Houston, Texas. Shale Crescent USA has been involved with natural gas development efforts in West Virginia, southeastern Ohio and southwestern Pennsylvania as well as in the Mid-Ohio Valley. A big advantage for this region is it is sitting on the gas supply, said Ron Whitfield, vice president of Applied Economics for IHS and lead author of the report. For more visit newsandsentinel.com or click http://bit.ly/2GTteMh