Wood Wins USD 200 Million ExxonMobil Construction Services Contract for PNG LNG Brownfield Projects

September 18, 2026

Wood has secured a five-year, USD 200 million construction services contract from ExxonMobil PNG to support brownfield project delivery across the operating PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea. The contract extends a relationship between Wood and ExxonMobil PNG that dates back to 2013, with Wood supporting the safe and reliable operation of PNG LNG infrastructure for more than a decade.

The award relates to brownfield construction across an established, operating LNG system rather than the development of a new greenfield LNG facility. It applies specifically to PNG LNG and should not be confused with the separate Papua LNG development.

What Contract Has Wood Secured, and What Is Its Value and Duration?

The agreement is worth USD 200 million and runs for five years, positioning it as a substantial, multi-year backlog addition for Wood's operations business in Papua New Guinea. According to Wood, the contract will support the maintenance and enhancement of critical PNG LNG facilities, with a particular focus on asset integrity and the safe and reliable operation of existing infrastructure. Wood also highlighted its continued focus on developing a skilled national workforce in Papua New Guinea.

Which PNG LNG Facilities Are Covered, and What Services Will Wood Provide?

The contract covers key parts of PNG LNG’s existing infrastructure, including the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant, the LNG plant at Caution Bay near Port Moresby, approximately 700 km of pipelines, and associated well pads and flowlines. More than 200 Wood personnel based in Papua New Guinea will provide project management, civil and structural construction, piping and mechanical works, electrical and instrumentation services, as well as scaffolding, lifting and rigging support. The multidisciplinary scope illustrates the range of construction capabilities required to execute brownfield projects across an operating LNG system.

Why is Wood's PNG LNG Contract Considered Brownfield Work?

PNG LNG is an established producing asset, not a project under initial construction. It shipped its first LNG cargo in 2014, and Wood’s new contract covers brownfield construction, modifications, and maintenance of existing operating infrastructure rather than the development of a new plant. This distinction is important because the work must be carefully planned around live operations.

The contract applies specifically to the existing PNG LNG project and does not cover the separate Papua LNG or P’nyang developments. Wood’s scope is focused on brownfield construction services across operating PNG LNG infrastructure.

What is PNG LNG's Existing Capacity and Infrastructure Footprint?

ExxonMobil describes PNG LNG as an integrated development comprising gas production and processing facilities, onshore and offshore pipelines, and a two-train LNG facility near Port Moresby. The LNG facility was originally designed for 6.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), while current PNG LNG project information states that operations have capacity to produce more than 8.3 million tonnes of LNG annually. The Hides Gas Conditioning Plant can process up to 1 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day from eight wells.

Processed gas is transported through the pipeline network to the Caution Bay LNG plant for liquefaction and export. This integrated system—spanning upstream gas production and processing facilities, approximately 700 km of pipelines and the coastal LNG facility forms the existing asset base across which Wood will provide brownfield construction services.

What Are the Key Engineering Challenges of Brownfield Construction at an Operating LNG Facility?

Brownfield construction at operating LNG facilities typically involves complex interfaces with existing assets and ongoing operations. Civil and structural works may need to account for existing foundations, buried utilities, operating equipment and space constraints. Piping and mechanical modifications can also involve tie-ins to existing systems, making careful sequencing, isolation planning and coordination with plant operations important.

Electrical and instrumentation work in operating facilities can similarly require additional controls when undertaken around live or energised systems. Across geographically dispersed LNG infrastructure, brownfield execution can also require close coordination of scaffolding, lifting, rigging and other construction activities. Managing these interfaces while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations is a core consideration in brownfield project delivery.

How Does Brownfield Work Support LNG Plant Reliability and Performance?

Brownfield construction and modification work under this contract is focused on maintaining and improving the safety, efficiency, and reliability of existing infrastructure that has been operating for more than a decade, rather than expanding production capacity.

Brownfield construction and modifications across piping, structural components, electrical systems and instrumentation can support asset integrity and operational reliability while helping operators manage the condition and performance of existing infrastructure. Wood’s emphasis on “asset integrity” and “critical facilities” also points to a reliability-focused scope. Neither Wood nor ExxonMobil PNG has attributed any production increase, capacity expansion, or new capital project to this specific contract.

Wood's USD 200 million, five-year contract highlights the engineering complexity of delivering brownfield projects across an operating LNG system. With work spanning the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant, the Caution Bay LNG plant, pipelines, well pads and flowlines, effective execution will require careful coordination of multiple construction disciplines alongside existing operations. The award demonstrates the continuing importance of brownfield project delivery in supporting asset integrity, reliability and the long-term performance of established LNG infrastructure.

IMARC Engineering’s Perspective

Wood's USD 200 million, five-year contract with ExxonMobil PNG illustrates the continuing importance of brownfield project delivery in maintaining and enhancing mature LNG infrastructure. While greenfield developments typically attract greater attention, operating LNG assets also require sustained engineering, construction and asset-integrity support throughout their lifecycle.

From an engineering perspective, the contract illustrates several fundamentals of brownfield project execution: managing interfaces between construction activities and operating assets, carefully sequencing civil, mechanical and electrical works, and coordinating multiple engineering and construction disciplines across geographically distributed infrastructure.

The award also highlights the value of combining asset-specific knowledge with disciplined brownfield engineering and construction management. For operating LNG facilities, effective project delivery depends on coordinating existing assets, construction activities, safety requirements and ongoing operations while maintaining a strong focus on asset integrity and reliability.