Belgian firms seek RI market for upstream technology

Belgian companies are looking to increase cooperation with oil and gas companies in Indonesia by offering various upstream technologies, according to Director General of Oil and Gas IGN Wiratmaja Puja.

A seminar entitled ?Solvay Oil and Gas Innovation Day Dedicated to Pertamina,? was held on Tuesday, which was attended by visiting Princess Astrid of Belgium. The princess, who was accompanied by some 300 Belgian businessmen during a weeklong visit to Indonesia, also met with President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.

Wiratmaja Pusa said in a statement that Belgian companies offer enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology to Indonesian upstream operators including state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina.

He added that aside from EOR technology, Belgium also offers technology for controlling corrosion to the Indonesian upstream sector, where there are many aging pipelines and platforms that are prone to corrosion. With the technology, the lifetime of the pipelines or platforms can be extended.

?In the early stage, Begium will cooperate with Pertamina, and is expected to be followed with cooperation with other oil and gas contractors,? Wiratmaja said, but did not explain in what project the cooperation will be, and who would be Pertamina?s partner from Belgium.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak