PARIS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Total TOTF.PA :
* Confirmed previously announced Papua New Guinea gas deal
* Total is the operator of the Elk and Antelope onshore fields and is the largest shareholder in PRL-15 with a 31.1% interest, alongside partners ExxonMobil (28.3%) and Oil Search (17.7%), post the State back-in right of 22.5%.
* The proposed Gas Agreement is expected to be finalized by Q1 2019.
* A long-awaited project led by France's Total SA TOTF.PA that will help double liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Papua New Guinea came another step closer, with the government agreeing to set financial terms early next year.
* The LNG expansion, which analysts estimate will cost $13 billion, is crucial to the Pacific island nation's economy as LNG is its biggest export earner, while demand for the fuel is surging in international energy markets.