Guangdong governor to visit Tangguh LNG project

The governor of China?s southern province of Guangdong will pay a visit to Indonesian easternmost province of Irian Jaya to see the location of the future Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in I Bintuni, Manokwari regency, Jakarta-based Kompas daily reported Sunday.

The paper quoted Irian Jaya?s vice governor Constant Karma as saying Saturday in the provincial capital of Jayapura that the visit was related to the Chinese government?s plan to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian government for the purchase of LNG from the Tangguh plant for the Guangdong province.

According to him, Indonesia expected to receive around $240 million in revenue from the sales of LNG to China. Of the total revenue, $192 million would be delivered to the Irian Jaya province under the proposed Irian Jaya autonomy law which stipulates 80 percent of the LNG revenue should be delivered to the province.

Karma did not specify the timeframe for the Guangdong delegation?s visit, only saying they would come ?soon?.

Separately, the Manokwari delegation to the Irian Jaya Woman Congress said the Manokwari people now cherish ?a big hope? about the project following numerous promises made by the local government and Anglo-American energy giant BP PLC during the aggressive information campaigns about the project.

Most of the Manokwari people have cut their sago trees to clear the area for the project, according to them.

?We, Manokwari women, ask the company not to bring prostitutes to our region. Until today, there isn?t any bar or prostitutes in Bintuni. Don?t bring women to damage our young generation?s morality,? one delegate said.

BP, which owns 50 percent of the gas reserves around Tangguh, is the lead consortium that will build the LNG plant. (*)