Arun exported 11.3m tons of LNG to S. Korea in 1996

JAKARTA (JP): PT Arun Lhokseumawe in North Aceh exported last year 11.3 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 200 shipments to South Korea, the company's general manager H. Sunardi said over the weekend.

Speaking to reporters after signing an agreement on extended cooperation between PT Arun Lhokseumawe and the University of Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh, he said that up to now, PT Arun had made 2,827 shipments of LNG to the country.

He did not elaborate. Arun's LNG export to South Korea was part of Indonesia's total LNG exports of about 25.65 million tons last year.

According to Korea Gas Corporation, South Korea needs 10 million tons of LNG every year, of which 70 percent is imported from Indonesia. The other 30 percent is imported from Malaysia, Brunei and Australia.

Indonesia signed an LNG purchase agreement -- a medium-term contract -- with South Korea in 1994 with a committed volume of 6.08 million tons for the 1995/1999 period.

Their second medium-term contract for LNG purchase was signed last July with a committed volume of 3.92 million tons of LNG for the 1995/1999 period.

Indonesia's state-owned Pertamina has also secured three long- term contracts of LNG with Korea Gas Corporation. The first long- term contract for the 1986/2007 period is for 2.3 million tons per year.

The second deal for the 1994/2014 period calls for the shipment of 2.05 million tons per year and the third for the 1998/2017 period for 1.02 million tons per year.

Indonesia, the world's largest producer of LNG -- with two LNG refineries in Arun, Aceh, and Bontang, Kalimantan -- produced 25.65 million tons of LNG last year, which was exported to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Arun's production capacity of LNG last year was 68,753 cubic meters per day, of LPG Propana about 2,950 cubic meters per day and LPG Butana about 2,785 cubic meters and condensate at an average 79,665 cubic meters per day.

With capacity expansion in Bontang and the new discoveries of gas reserves in Natuna and Irian Jaya, Indonesia expects to increase its LNG exports to 27 million tons per year in 2003.

Sunardi said that last year, PT Arun also exported 1.26 million tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), of which 0.64 million tons was LPG Propana and 0.62 million tons LPG Butana.

"The company's export of condensate last year reached 29 million barrels with 81 shipments," he said, Antara reported.

The company won the 12th Sword of Honor from the British Safety Council for its achievements in plant safety, and won the 3rd Star Award from the same institution. (bnt)