RI shows gas potential at world energy expo
RI shows gas potential at world energy expo
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian International Oil, Gas and Energy
Conference and Exhibition (IIOGE) opened here on Tuesday with
Indonesia endeavoring to find export markets for the country's
gas resources.
Delegates from India and China, both prospective markets for
Indonesian gas, will be among those in attendance at the three-
day conference and exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Hall.
"We are particularly excited to welcome our Indian
counterparts to Jakarta again to discuss further the potentials
for partnership, both in the supply of LNG (liquefied natural
gas) to the subcontinent and in the domestic development of
Indonesia's resources," IIOGE cochairman Kusumo A. Martoredjo
said in a press statement.
Indonesia is steeping up its marketing efforts to find export
markets for the Tangguh gas fields in Irian Jaya and the Badak
gas fields in East Kalimantan.
India's delegation to the conference is Minister of Petroleum
and Natural Gas H.E. Shri Ram Naik.
The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOC) visited Indonesia in
July to discuss the possibility of buying LNG from state-owned
oil and gas company Pertamina.
IOC has said India might import over 1.8 million tons of
Indonesian LNG if Pertamina accepted India's terms and
conditions. IOC's visit ended with both countries agreeing to
work out a deal.
Kusumo also expressed hopes Indonesia and China could increase
their bilateral cooperation in the gas sector.
To penetrate the Chinese market, then minister of mines and
energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met in August with Chinese
officials in Beijing.
Pertamina is now participating in a tender to supply China
with three million tons of LNG per year.
Following his opening speech, Minister of Energy and Mineral
Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the government was considering
offering gas contractors incentives for the development of
domestic gas resources.
He fell short of giving any details of the proposed
incentives, saying only that domestic gas prices could drop by 50
percent.
Topics at the conference, which officially opens on Wednesday,
will include the future of Indonesia's oil and gas sector,
regional cooperation in the energy sector and profiles of oil and
gas companies.
Rilwanu Lukman, the secretary-general of the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and Beyond Petroleum (BP)
chief executive John Browne also will attend the conference.(bkm)