The liquefied natural gas carrier that was custom-built for the PNG LNG Project has been official christened as MV Papua at the Hudong-Zhongua shipbuilding yard in Shanghai, China.

During the ceremony, Linda Babao, the wife of the Prime Minister, gave the blessing and cut the rope to break a bottle of champagne on the bow of the vessel H1670A as the traditional seafarer’s christening.

Papua New Guinea Ambassador to China Christopher Mero highlighted the importance of the occasion and the contribution the ship will make to Papua New Guinea’s export of LNG to the world.

He said the resources sector in Papua New Guinea makes a huge contributor to the economic and social wellbeing and development of Papua New Guinea.

“We now have a Papua New Guinea workforce with knowledge, skills and the capacities and provide us with a rich depth of talent pool to draw from for the future development of the country,"Mero said.

“The PNG LNG Project is certainly having a major impact on our country.

“We hope the experience we gained in dealing with ExxonMobil and its partners will be utilized meaningfully to reach our full potential and also to capitalize on the many opportunities that lie ahead.

“Let me take this opportunity to convey on behalf of the Government and people of Papua New Guinea, our sincere appreciation and gratitude to ExxonMobil for your contribution to our country becoming a major gas exporter.

“I would also like to thank the many concerned parties involved, in particular the shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for delivering a world-class vessel that will carry Papua New Guinea’s gas to China.”

Mero also extended his thanks to the owners of the vessel who have given the name “Papua” to one of the largest and most modern ships built in China.

The vessel is a 172,000 cubic metres LNG carrier, measuring 290 metres in total length.