"Deal in sight for PNG landowners protesting Exxon-led gas project", 31 August 2018

Traditional landholders in the Papua New Guinea highlands say they finally see signs of progress in a cycle of contentious negotiations over land rights and royalties at a massive ExxonMobil-led natural gas development.

The PNG LNG project’s operations in Angore, Hela Province, have been suspended since June, when workers were evacuated after protesters set fire to construction equipment.

...[L]andowners say they are now satisfied with the conflict-resolution process, and finally optimistic that an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks.

...Before leasing land to developers, the government is required to go through a process of Social Mapping and Landowner Identification (SMLI)...Angore landowners’ group, Angore Tiddl Appa Landowners Association Inc. (ATALA), said the government did not conduct and complete an accurate SMLI....

According to ATALA, the government then upped its response, sending ATALA a letter recognizing the organization and stating its intention to negotiate and “release money from the trust fund held by the [government-owned] Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC),” Hayabe said. He added that ATALA was happy with the arrangement.

...[G]overnment representatives met multiple times with ATALA...to complete the SMLI process....

...[A] draft memorandum of understanding between ATALA and the government was now being reviewed and could be signed...soon....

ExxonMobil and the other companies involved in the project are not part of...any MoUs “in relation to landowner benefits.”

...$200 million in unpaid landowner royalties were “being held in trust” until the SMLI process for PNG LNG was complete....