A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island on Friday, initially triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The shallow quake struck close to the coast, 162 km south-west of Rabaul, a much more remote region than the country's mountainous mainland highlands where a magnitude 7.5 tremor struck on February 26, killing 100 people.

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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a threat warning for the country's coastline located within 300 km of the quake's epicentre, but later advised that the threat had passed.

Dellie Minding, a receptionist at the Rabaul Hotel in the east of New Britain, around 20 minutes from the coast, said the earthquake was felt, with many guests running outside, but there was no damage.