For Papua New Guinea (PNG) to achieve a balanced economic growth in the next decade, the advancing of the current natural resource projects is now more important than ever.

Prime Minister James Marape, speaking on the margins of the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, said advancing both LNG and mining projects would ensure balanced economic growth across the country.

“Papua LNG and P’nyang LNG anchor development in the south, while Wafi-Golpu and the Frieda River Project anchor mining development in the north,” he said.

“This balance ensures that economic activity over the next decade is fairly distributed across Papua New Guinea.”

In terms of offshore projects, the prime minister also confirmed that offshore petroleum exploration remains active.

He said offshore oil and gas investments continue, with TotalEnergies confirming ongoing exploration in the Mailu area of Central Province, while the Twinza–MRDC joint venture progresses development of the Pasca A Project in the Gulf of Papua.

He said investors involved in the Pasca A and Pasca B gas projects, operated by Twinza Oil Limited, have confirmed that offshore exploration activities in the Gulf of Papua and Central Province waters are continuing at full pace.

Exploration programmes include assessment for potential oil and condensate resources.