Chevron to develop five power projects in W. Java

PT. Amoseas Indonesia, a unit of US energy giant Chevron Texaco, has planned to develop its Darajat geothermal power in West Java into five new projects, a senior executive of Chevron?s Indonesian unit PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) told Petromindo.Com on Tuesday.

CPI senior vice president W. Yudiana declined to say when Chevron would start developing the West Java projects. He only said the power projects would be carried out when Indonesia?s security and law enforcement have shown meaningful improvement.

?As a matter of fact Chevron headquarters had decided to allocate millions of dollars for the projects. But it has yet to see some improvement in Indonesia?s security and law enforcement,? Yudiana said.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri recently dedicated the resumption of the Darajat project and other seven power projects suspended in 1998 after severe economic crisis hit Indonesia. A total of 27 power projects were suspended then.

The Darajat facility had been planned to generate 275 megawatts of electricity.

Chevron Texaco has a strong presence in Indonesia notably through CPI which operates oil projects in Riau. (godang)