Arun NGL Co asked to provide accurate date on LNG exports

The legislative council in Aceh province has asked PT Arun Natural Gas Liquefaction (NGL) Co to provide an accurate data on its LNG, LPG and condensate exports because the accurate information would be needed to determine the company's contribution to the province's budget in the future.

The head of the council's Commission A, Burhanuddin, said that the data on LNG and condensate exports reported by the local port authority was different from those submitted to the council.

"I don't believe in the export data provided by the port authority," he was quoted as saying by Bisnis Indonesia.

Exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the Aceh-based LNG producer Arun NGL Co showed a sharp decline in the first semester of this year to 7.66 million tons (61 tankers) from 11.77 million tons (94 tankers) in the same period, last year, or only about 32 percent of the total exports in 1999, according to data provided by PT Pelabuhan I in Medan.

Exports of LPG fell by 82 percent to 23,676 tons in the January-June, this year from 120,633 tons in the same period, last year. The condensate exports also declined by 80 percent to 47,656 metric tons in the first semester this year from 246,141 tons in the same semester of last year.

Burhanuddin said that the LNG production would become the main source of the province's revenue when the autonomy law, which will give provincial administrations to give greater authority in managing their natural resources, began effective next year. (*)