Mulacek told the Post-Courier chartering the four-engined Antonov was not cheap but it was the only way the company could get its hands on the 90 tonnes of specialist equipment needed to complete exploration of the Elk-1 well.
Equipment from the plane was unloaded on to several trucks on the tarmac before being transferred to a waiting ship. The ship will then travel up the Purai River near the drill-site and from here it will be carried in a sling by a heavy-lifting Chinook helicopter.
Mulacek previously told PNGIndustryNews.net he believed the Elk discovery had the potential to host more than 1 trillion cubic feet of gas and could potentially host enough gas to support an LNG development.
“We have just popped a huge well. We are less than 1% into the reservoir and the flows are very significant, they are extremely strong,” Mulacek said shortly after the discovery was announced.
Drilling at Elk is expected to be completed within two months.
Meanwhile the huge Antonov aircraft could have a longer than expected stay in Port Moresby according to the Post-Courier. Because of the hefty fuel bill it reportedly has to wait for its next customer to pay for the flight.
