FSRU West Java on its way to Jakarta bay

By Godang Sitompul

Floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) West Java vessel has been built at a shipyard in Singapore and is now on its way to Jakarta bay from Singapore, said Evita H. Legowo, Director General for Oil and Gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

?We hope it will arrive at end January or early February. Once arrived, pipeline will be installed and connected with the FSRU, which will take about one month. We hope the FSRU will begin commissioning at end March or early April this year,? Evita told Petromindo.com.

Evita said the government will ensure that one cargo of LNG will be delivered to the FSRU from Bontang in order to support the commissioning of the vessel.

The FSRU West Java, the first such project in Indonesia, is owned by PT Nusantara Regas, a joint venture between PT Pertamina and state gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk. The FSRU vessel was converted from an oil tanker vessel by Golar LNG Energy Limited of Norway at a shipyard in Singapore.

The FSRU will be used to deliver up to 500 MMSCFD of regasified LNG to Nusantara Regas? downstream pipeline.

The government will also develop FSRU in North Sumatra and Central Java.

Evita said the government hopes the FSRU Belawan, to be developed by PGN, will come onstream in 2013.

?Currently, PGN is negotiating the LNG gas price (with buyers). The government hopes once the gas price is settled, PGN will immediately build the FSRU, hence it would come onstream in early 2013,? said Evita.

Editing by Roffie Kurniawan