Papua New Guinea’s national petroleum company, Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (Kumul Petroleum), announced today that it has appointed Mr Craig Schulz as its new Chief Operating Officer, filling a position that has been vacant for a while. Wapu Sonk, Managing Director of Kumul Petroleum said, “given our present level of operations in the petroleum sector, in non-petroleum related national development activities, and with forthcoming major projects such as Papua LNG and P’nyang LNG, it is timely that we have adequate and appropriately qualified senior technical management personnel.” “I am confident that Craig will be a huge asset for Kumul Petroleum with his decades of experience in engineering and petroleum development projects in Australia, PNG and internationally. As an organisation we have to be technically and managerially ready to participate in a meaningful manner in Papua LNG, P’nyang LNG and other petroleum development projects that are in the pipeline.” Mr Schulz has more than 25 years of leadership and major project management experience in the energy and resources industries in Australia and other locations, having worked with Kellogg, Brown & Root, BHP and Santos. This experience includes three years in PNG from 2010-2012 as Country Manager for Santos, a major partner in the PNG LNG Project and operator of the country’s oil fields. Mr Sonk continued, “Craig is not new to Papua New Guinea or our petroleum industry and has useful connections to other national and international stakeholders. He will hit the ground running and will be actively supporting Kumul Petroleum’s existing cadre of national professionals.” “Development of PNG’s natural gas resources will underpin future national development so it is important that the economic and social benefits from petroleum projects can be maximized. Kumul Petroleum has to have the right team members to ensure that this is achieved.” Mr Sonk concluded.