After a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea’s Southern Highlands province, ExxonMobil and Oil Search announced that they have temporarily shut their operations in the country.
The earthquake hit the Southern Highlands about 560 km northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The government of Papua New Guinea sent disaster assessment teams, as at least 13 aftershocks rattled the area during the day, Reuters reported.
As a result of the quake ExxonMobil shut its Hides gas conditioning plant. It also suspended flights into the nearby Komo airfield until the runway could be surveyed. Gas from Hides supplies ExxonMobil’s LNG plant, which exports more than 8 million tonnes a year. All of the employees and staff are safe.
Moreover, Australia’s Oil Search also shut its gas production in Papua New Guinea. The company informed that no injuries had been reported so far and that all personnel had been accounted for.
