After about two weeks of work-stopping disruptions at the construction sites, an ExxonMobil spokesperson yesterday told PNGIndustryNews.net that PNG LNG was back online and encouraged continued cooperation between communities and the government to constructively address issues as they arose.

"On the Hides work front, community leaders in the Hides area have come to a resolution with the government to allow work in Hides to resume," Exxon spokesperson Rebecca Arnold said in an email.

"We have begun to mobilise our workforce to recommence work."

Work was suspended in the area earlier this month due to a land compensation dispute with locals and their illegal stop-work campaign - which included threats made to project workers.

The action was so effective that the project flew workers out of the impacted areas.

PNG newspaper The National reported the government downplayed a state-of-emergency declaration by simply responding with a "call-out" order to deploy security troops to the project site in the Southern Highlands.

The report said Hides landowners had intended to announce an earlier decision to allow work to continue but a media conference was derailed by protestor infighting.