BP Indonesia, govt to improve welfare of Pagerungan fishermen

BP Indonesia will soon cooperate with the Ministry of Marine and Fishery Affairs to design a special program for improving the welfare of fishermen in Pagerungan Besar village on East Java?s Kangean Island, company executive told Petromindo.Com on Monday.

?We will soon cooperate with the Ministry to design and implement the program. And, we expect our program to be materialized this year,? said Budi Santoso, BP Indonesia?s government and public affairs manager for East and Central Java.

Budi however declined to mention the amounts to be allocated for the community development program to improve the welfare of fishermen.

He only said the program aims to facilitate activities of Pagerungan fishermen including the processing of their fish.

BP, through its subsidiary BP Kangean Ltd, operates Pagerungan gas field on the island of Kangean near Madura, East Java.

Pagerungan supplies 600 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas to East Java until 2010. The gas goes to the province?s household and industrial users. (Godang)