Energy giant TotalEnergies has secured a vote of confidence in its multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas project in Papua New Guinea by selling a small interest to a major Japanese company.

JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration said it had agreed to acquire a 2.58% interest in Block PRL15, which contains the large onshore Elk-Antelope fields that form the basis of the Papua LNG project.

Terms of the agreement, which requires the approval of the PNG Department of Petroleum & Energy, were not disclosed.