Indonesia asks China to buy more LNG

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro held on Monday a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao as part of his efforts to boost liquifed natural gas (LNG) sales to the world?s most populous nation.

During the meeting, Purnomo voiced expectations that China would buy more LNG from the country.

?What we want is a poltical will from the Chinese government,? Purnomo told reporters atter meeting with the Chinese prime minsiter.

Purnomo was accompanied by President Megawati Soekarnoputri?s husband Taufi Kiemas, Minister of Industry and Trade Rini MS Soewandi and Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi during the meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Plus 3 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Purnomo said China still had a lot of potentials to buy LNG from Indonesia, citing that Indonesia had secured a contract to supply China?s province of Fujian with 2.6 million tons of LNG per year starting in 2007, while the province will have a receiving terminal with the capacity of 5 million tons of LNG per year.

?In Fujian, there is still potential,? he said.

Under the contract signed last year, Fujian will get LNG supplies from the Tangguh LNG project which is being developed by a consortium led Anglo-American firm BP PLC in the Bird?s Head area of Papua.

Aside from Fujian, Indonesia is also looking for potential buyers in Shanghai and Shandong, to which Indonesia expected to sell about 5 million tons of LNG per year. (*)