LNG for exports down, for domestic market up

By Godang Sitompul & Febry Silaban

Upstream authority SKK Migas said the exports of LNG will drop to 200 cargoes this year from 267 cargoes last year, while the shipment of the fuel to domestic buyers will rise to 58 cargoes from 31 cargoes, Rudianto Rimbono, spokesperson of upstream authority SKK Migas said on Wednesday.

The buyers on the domestic market are electricity firm PT PLN, gas firm PT PGN, FSRU operator Nusantara Regas and oil and gas firm PT Pertamina. All are stated owned firms.

Separately, Salis Aprilian, President Director of PT Badak NGL, the operate of the Bontang LNG plant in East Kalimantan, said the Bontang plant will allocate 10-15 percent of its total LNG production of 9.72 million tons to the domestic market this year.

?Badak NGL is projected to produce 9.72 million tons of LNG and 0.43 million tons of LPG this year,? he said.

The Bontang plant will prepare four cargoes of LNG for the commissioning and start-up of FTRU Arun in Aceh operated by PT Perta Arun Gas.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon