Airbus Helicopters's sale of two H145s to ExxonMobil marks the first by the former to the latter and the first order in the oil and gas sector for the new H145 in the Asia-Pacific region. The intermediate twins, which are equipped with the new five-blade, bearingless main rotor, will support the oil and gas company’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Based at the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant in Hela Province of the PNG Highlands, the H145s will transport workers and equipment in support of the LNG project. Airbus Helicopters said the new H145’s hot-and-high performance led to its selection by ExxonMobil because the aircraft will be operating at an altitude of 5,400 feet in temperatures of 95 degrees F (35 degrees C).
“It’s an honor to win the confidence of a safety and performance-focused customer like ExxonMobil for operations in PNG’s highly demanding operational environment,” said Airbus Helicopters executive v-p of global business Ben Bridge. “The new H145 has made a strong start in the market and it’s clear that it has a great future across multiple market segments.”