SOLDOTNA -- Conoco Phillips has purchased Marathon's 30 percent interest in the Kenai LNG plant.

Company spokeswoman Natalie Lowman said the purchase took place Sept. 30.

Lowman told KSRM that Conoco Phillips bought Marathon's interest in order to keep options open at the plant.

She said that could mean support of an LNG import facility or resuming operations to export LNG. Lowman said those uses are dependent on local needs, gas production and other factors.