landowners of PDL 1 and 7

This is due to an existing court order preventing the Department of Petroleum, and other concerned departments and statutory bodies, from conducting landowner identification in PDLs 1, 7, 8 and 9.

Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban confirmed today that the payments never happened as agreed on because he and the department were advised of the court order and breaching that would be in contempt of court.

Although payments were raised for this, landowners have been informed of the court order, which was taken out by a Albert Mokai in June this year.

The landowners gave the government a 12-hour ultimatum as of 5pm yesterday for it to address their concerns.

Security forces on the ground confirmed that the landowners have also taken over the gates leading to the six well pads that supply LNG to the plant.

The employees inside the conditioning plant are still locked in but are safe with police on high alert and ready to act if anything happens.