Cogeneration plant project free from collusion: Caltex<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Oil company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia has
\ndenied that it had formed a partnership with a company partly
\nowned by a foundation linked with former state oil and gas
\ncompany Pertamina's president Faisal Abda'oe to develop a US$190
\nmillion cogeneration plant in Duri, Riau.<\/p>\n
However, Caltex's president and chairman of the managing board
\nBaihaki Hakim refused to disclose the names of all the owners of
\nPT Nusagalih Nusantara, the local partner of Caltex's
\nshareholders-- Chevron and Texaco of the United States-- in
\ndeveloping the 300-Megawatt cogeneration plant.<\/p>\n
The cogeneration plant is being developed by PT Mandau Cipta
\nTenaga Nusantara, which received the project from Caltex without
\ncompetitive bidding.<\/p>\n
Nusagalih owns 5 percent of Mandau Cipta with the remaining 95
\npercent held by Chevron and Texaco.<\/p>\n
Informed sources at Pertamina said Nusagalih is controlled by
\nFeisal and the Serangan Umum 1 Maret foundation, which was once
\nchaired by Feisal and is linked with former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
But Baihaki said Nusagalih's statutes name only Harsudi
\nSupandi as the owner.<\/p>\n
"We didn't bother to find out who was behind him. The main
\nthing is that he has the money and capabilities to co-develop the
\nproject," Baihaki said, adding that Harsudi is a supplier of oil
\nproduction equipment for Caltex.<\/p>\n
But Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said on
\nMonday he had instructed Director General of Oil and Gas
\nSoepraptono Soelaiman and Pertamina's president Martiono Hadianto
\nto probe into the dubious deal allegedly made by Caltex regarding
\nthe cogeneration plant project.<\/p>\n
A Caltex spokesman told The Jakarta Post last week Nusagalih
\nwas formerly co-owned by the Serangan Umum 1 Maret foundation but
\nHarsudi later took over its shares in order to control the
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
But, Baihaki said the statement was inaccurate, adding Caltex
\ndid not fully know the identity of the original owners of the
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
"Presumption of corruption, collusion and nepotism in the
\nproject is definitely wrong," he said.<\/p>\n
Baihaki admitted that Caltex had awarded the cogeneration
\nplant project to Mandau Cipta without competitive bidding but he
\nsaid the deal was done with prior approval from Pertamina and was
\nprocessed through all the necessary channels.<\/p>\n
Pertamina had given its approval on Aug. 26, 1997 when Faisal
\nserved as Pertamina's president.<\/p>\n
He said under the existing regulation, an oil and gas
\ncontractor is allowed to award a project to a third party without
\ncompetitive bidding to speed up its development provided that the
\nproject does not reduce the government's earnings from the oil
\nand gas operations.<\/p>\n
He said Caltex had appointed Chevron and Texaco to develop the
\nproject because the companies had lengthy experience in the
\ndesign, construction and operation of cogeneration plants
\nspecifically built for high pressure steam flooding of oil fields
\nwhich Caltex is going to carry out in its Duri oil fields.<\/p>\n
Chevron and Texaco later formed a partnership with Nusagalih
\nto comply with the existing regulation which obliges foreign
\ninvestors to give 5 percent to a local partner.<\/p>\n
The country's largest cogeneration plant, scheduled for
\ncompletion in 2000, will supply power and steam to support oil
\nproduction at Caltex's steamflood operation in Duri.<\/p>\n
Cogeneration is a fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly
\nprocess that will produce electricity and steam simultaneously
\nfrom natural gas.<\/p>\n
Differing from a normal gas-fired power plant which can only
\nturn 30 percent of the gas into power and discharges the rest in
\nwasted energy, a cogeneration plant can produce power as well as
\nfurther process most of the wasted energy into thermal energy for
\nheating and cooling needs.<\/p>\n
The steam that will be produced at the Duri cogeneration plant
\nwill be pumped into the Duri oil wells to force crude oil flow
\nout. (jsk)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cogeneration-plant-project-free-from-collusion-caltex-1447893297",
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