TWINZA Oil Ltd is not signing the non-disclosure agreement in the format provided by the Papua New Guinea Government, says country manager Roppe Uyassi.
He was responding to Prime Minister James Marape’s recent statement that he was disappointed and had “run short of patience” on how the finalisation of the Pasca A gas agreement was being handled by the company.
Twinza is the operator of the gas project 95km offshore of Gulf.
“I am running short of patience,” Marape said last week.
“Sometimes they (Twinza) have a funny habit of going to the media first before sitting down with the State Negotiating Team (SNT).
“I can go to the petroleum advisory board next week if they (Twinza) keep us running around like this.
“I want Twinza to get it correct: if they’re serious about this project, the SNT is ready at any time.
“One of the Twinza guys should jump on a plane, get into Port Moresby, and talk to us face-to-face if they feel that their local executives don’t have the mandate to make final calls.”
Petroleum Minister Kerenga Kua said during a recent Parliament sitting that the SNT and Twinza would be signing a non-disclosure agreement which was confidential until the gas agreement was signed.
But Uyassi said they were waiting for SNT to engage on the drafting of the gas agreement.
“We have informed the minister and the SNT that we are not able to sign the non-disclosure agreement in the form sent by the State Solicitor.
“If both parties engage in good faith with mutual cooperation, the drafting should be a matter of days.
“So a non-disclosure agreement is a distraction.”
The National / Pacific Mining Watch
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