"The PNG Gas Project is a commercial undertaking and would proceed on the basis of a decision by the project participants that it is economically viable," ExxonMobil spokesman Tony Cudmore said in a letter to EnergyReview.net.

"The project participants are currently undertaking the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) program for the project, as well as continuing the marketing program to secure the sales volumes necessary to underpin the project's economics.

"Obviously achieving these sales volumes requires that both the project and its customers have confidence in reliability of supply. It is fundamentally incorrect to imply, as the Slugcatcher article did, that the project is a wholly political exercise."

Reliability of supply was obviously an important consideration for the PNG Gas Project and its customers, just as it was in any other gas project anywhere in the world, according to Cudmore.

The PNG Gas Project had several features that promoted reliability of gas supply for Australian customers, he argued.

"In addition to designing the facilities to meet reliability requirements, the project is working closely with the national and provincial Governments in PNG, as well as landowners and local communities," Cudmore said.

"PNG stakeholders are and will continue to be owners in the project and therefore have strong interest in the reliability and success of the Project.

"The PNG Gas Project is an initiative that would deliver new and competitive energy supplies for Australia and is clearly of great significance for PNG.

"It does Slugcatcher no credit to attack an initiative of this nature on the basis of the ill-informed and misleading claims."