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The helicopter, on contract to Oil Search from Hevi Lift, crashed on approach to the Moran 5/7 helipad at about 5pm, the company said in a press release Friday.
The company holds a 60.7% stake in the Moran oil field, located in the mountainous Southern Highlands province, 480km northwest of Port Moresby.
“Two passengers were killed instantly, while a third died at the Iagifu Ridge Hospital on Thursday night,” Oil Search said.
A critically injured patient was also airlifted to hospital in Cairns in the early hours of Friday morning while the remaining passengers were airlifted to hospital in Port Moresby.
A company spokesperson confirmed to PNGIndustryNews.net that all seven people on board the helicopter, including the pilot, were contractors for the company.
The six passengers were said to be PNG nationals while the pilot was an ex-patriot.
Weather in the region had apparently “not been good” over the past few days, but investigations were underway to determine the cause of the accident.
“A full investigation involving Oil Search Limited, Hevi Lift and the Office of Civil Aviation Authority is currently being undertaken to determine the cause of this incident,” the company said.
The Moran oilfield commenced operations in 1998. Oil Search acquired its upstream interests in Moran from BP in 2002 and formally assumed operator status in 2003.
