Friday 6 December 2002, 12:31PM
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says he will discuss the proposed $A6 billion Papua New Guinea-Queensland gas pipeline with Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare during a visit to PNG next week.
The PNG government last week announced tax breaks for 4,000 kilometre pipeline from the PNG Southern Highlands across Torres Strait to Cape York and down through Queensland.
Project participants including ExxonMobil, Oil Search Ltd, ChevronTexaco, MRDC (representing landowner interests) and Japan PNG Petroleum each need to give the go-ahead to commit to the pipeline.
Mr Beattie said he was confident the project would go ahead in Queensland despite suggestions the backers were considering moving the pipeline to Darwin.
"They've got to make those commercial decisions, whenever there is obviously consideration of a proposal like this, which is a major one, they'll look at a number of options and that's fine," he said.
"In the end, Queensland offers the customers and geographically is closer, it makes more sense to go to Queensland, and if it goes ahead, which I believe in the long term it will, it'll be in Queensland."
©2002 AAP
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