Indonesia has gas reserves of about 150 trillion cubic feet

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro has estimated that the volume of potential gas reserves in the country?s natural resources rich islands of East Natuna, East Kalimantan, South Sumatera, Irian Jaya and Central Sulawesi reach about 150 trillion cubic feet.

In a statement published by Bisnis Indonesia on Monday, the minister said the gas found in the areas would be developed for exports. The gas, which would be used to meet the local consumption, would be taken from gas fields in Cepu, Terang Serasun and off shore fields in Java.

According to the minister, the gas deposits could be used as an alternative of the widely used oil fuel in the future.

Meanwhile Vice President for Gas Marketing and Business Development of BP Indonesia, Budiman Perhusip, said that the demand for natural gas in Java had reached one billion cubic feet per day. About 60 percent of the demand come from electricity companies.

He said that the other 30 percent of the demand came from industrial companies which are located mostly in West Java, while the other 10 percent came from fertilizer producers in West and East Java. "The demand is estimated to increase by 13 percent a year," he added.

Indonesia?s total gas utilization is about 755.4 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD). Of the total, 138.24 MMSCFD are consumed by industrial users, 115.89 MMSCFD by city gas, 194.33 by fertilizer producers, 133.43 MMSCFD by electricity plants and 9.35 MMSCFD by LPG producers. (*)