Pertamina, BP Muriah to develop gas field

Pertamina, BP Muriah to develop gas field

State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina has agreed with BP
Muriah Ltd., a subsidiary of the Anglo-American energy firm, BP
PLC, to jointly develop an offshore gas field north of the island
of Java, Pertamina announced in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The statement said the two firms planned to produce gas at an
average rate of 170 billion British thermal units a day (BBTUD)
at the Kepodang field of the Muriah block, 180 kilometers
northeast of Semarang, the capital of Central Java.

The Muriah block, which was discovered in 1992, has gas
reserves of 500 billion cubic feet.

Gas from the field would be delivered to the Tambak Lorok
power plant in Semarang, owned by state electricity company PT
PLN, through a 205-kilometer pipeline, it said.

The development of the gas field is planned to start next year
and expected to end in 2004, it said.

Commercial production will commence in 2004 or 2005 and
proceed until 2021, it said. -- JP