Indonesia, Japan agree to jointly develop unconventional gas

Indonesia and Japan have agreed to jointly develop unconventional gas prospects as well as gas infrastructure network in Indonesia.

The agreement was reached during the 3rd Indonesia-Japan Energy Policy Dialogue (IJEPD) which was held in Fukuoka, Japan on July 12-13, 2013.

Indonesian delegation was led by Director General for Oil and Gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Evita H. Legowo. Japan?s delegation was led by Hiroshi Asahi, Director General for Energy Environmental Policy and Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE).

The two sides also agreed to improve two-way communications as an effort to further strengthen relation as well as to support existing and future projects in Indonesia.

In mineral and coal sectors, Indonesia offered Japan opportunity to invest in building smelter plants in the country to improve added value of mining products. As for new and renewable energy, Japan (Kitakyushu) and the municipalities of Surabaya and Malang in East Java have taken initiative to jointly process waste to generate power plant.

Indonesia expressed hopes to set up cooperation between Research and Education Agency of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and Kitakyushu to develop new and renewable energies.

The Japan delegation also offered cooperation on developing transmission grid in cooperation with Hitachi as well as cooperation in geothermal energy development.

During the dialogue Evita H. Legowo was accompanied by officials from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Indonesia?s embassy in Tokyo, upstream authority BPMIGAS as well as top executives from PT Pertamina, PT PGN Tbk, PT PLN and PT Medco Indonesia Power.

The 4th Indonesia-Japan Energy Policy Dialogue will be held in Indonesia in May 2013.

Editing by Roffie Kurniawan