ExxonMobil's operation still running smoothly in troubled Aceh
ExxonMobil's operation still running smoothly in troubled Aceh
JAKARTA (JP): The second day of operation of ExxonMobil Oil
Indonesia's Arun gas fields in Aceh is running normally and gas
production is expected to increase within the next few days,
according to a company' senior official.
ExxonMobil spokeswoman Julia Tumengkol said on Thursday that
ExxonMobil would likely increase production as the company
continued to restore the gas field facilities.
She also said that the plan to increase production would also
depend on the latest security situation.
"We're now still operating the gas fields on a day to day
basis," she told The Jakarta Post.
The company is now pumping gas from Cluster II, one of four
clusters operated by ExxonMobil, a unit of the U.S.-based Exxon
Mobil Corp.
Sidick A Nitikusuma, head of general affairs at state oil and
gas company Pertamina's directorate of production sharing
management, said earlier that the resumption of operations would
enable nearby liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer PT Arun NGL to
recommence its LNG production in mid-August.
Meanwhile, a South Korea official at the Ministry of Commerce,
Industry and Energy, or Mocie, said as quoted by Dow Jones, that
South Korea hoped liquefied natural gas imports from Indonesia's
Aceh province could resume starting October.
However, the official said it was not immediately clear when
Indonesia would restart its LNG exports.
Indonesia told Mocie that it would restart providing LNG to
South Korea starting August, but South Korea does not have the
room to receive the volume until October, the official said.
"We can't receive LNG (from Aceh) until October because South
Korea has already made arrangements to replace the LNG supply
from Aceh until September", the official said. However, Indonesia
has not confirmed when natural gas exports from Aceh will
restart, he added.
An official at Korea Gas Corp., or Kogas, also said Kogas has
secured enough LNG until September. However, the official said
Kogas anticipates a shortage of supply if Indonesia does not
provide LNG from Aceh after September as South Korea's LNG demand
rises in the second half of the year due to seasonal demand.
Indonesia is South Korea's largest LNG supplier. South Korea
has a long-term contract with Indonesia to import 5.3 million
metric tons of LNG a year.
South Korea also receives 11.56 million tons of LNG a year
from its other contract LNG suppliers, Malaysia, Qatar, Oman and
Brunei. (05)