Megawati, Mahathir dedicate first gas delivery from W. Natuna to Malaysia

President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday inaugurated the first delivery of natural gas from Indonesia?s West Natuna field to the Duyong gas platform offshore Peninsular Malaysia.

The dedication ceremony took place in Tampak Siring, Bali, and was attended by the president director of Indonesia?s state oil and gas firm Pertamina, Baihaki Hakim, and the president director of Malaysia?s national petroleum company Petronas, Tan Sri Dato Seri Azizan Zainul Abidin.

A 96-kilometer pipeline transmitted some 100 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of natural gas from West Natuna to Duyong. The gas came from the field operated by Conoco Indonesia Inc Ltd, a subsidiary of US energy giant Conoco Inc Ltd.

The volume of gas piped to Malaysia from West Natuna is expected to rise to 250 MMCFD. The gas supply contract is effective for 20 years.

Also on the same occasion, Megawati and Mahathir witnessed the signing of an agreement between Pertamina and Petronas to supply to Malaysia from South Sumatra. Baihaki and Tan Sri Dato Seri Azizan signed the accord. The gas will come from the fields operated by PT Gulf Indonesia Resources, a subsidiary of Conoco Canada Resources.

Earlier reports said negotiations between Pertamina-Gulf Indonesia Resources and Petronas were about plans of delivering 350 MMCFD of gas from South Sumatra to Malaysia. (godang)