Iran, Kuwait, Japan offer refinery project to Pertamina

Companies from three countries – Iran, Kuwait and Japan – have offered to build a refinery in East Java in a partnership with state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, a senior official of the state firm said on Thursday.

Pertamina’s downstream director Harry Purnomo did not identify the Iranian and Kuwaiti companies but the Japanese firms are Mitsui and Mitsubishi.

“We are studying the offer,” Harry said, explaining that he had been informed about the offer by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Harry said Pertamina was mulling to build a 150,000-barrel refinery in Cepu area, where ExxonMobil Corp. has found huge oil and gas reserves. The Cepu block, which is located in the border areas of Central Java and East Java, formerly belonged to Pertamina and the state firm is now seeking to set up a joint operation with ExxonMobil to exploit the reserves. (Godang)