Ministry: West Java FSRU to operate in March 2012

The government targets the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) West Java to be deployed in the Jakarta bay to start operation on March 1, 2012, about one month earlier than what state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has previously set out.

 

?We are still expecting operation to start on March 1, with commissioning beginning early January,? said Evita H. Legowo, Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

 

Evita went on today that if the commissioning runs smoothly, the facility could actually start operation in February, although not yet optimal.

 

Previously, Pertamina President Director Karen Agustiawan set the commencement of the FSRU on April 1. However, be it March or April, it still represents a delay as it had originally been set to operate in January.

 

Karen said the delay was due to slow process of the permit given by related government agencies in the operation of the FSRU.

 

The FSRU is owned by PT Nusantara Regas, a joint venture between PT Pertamina and state gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk. The FSRU vessel is being built by Golar LNG Energy Limited and should be ready for testing in January. The FSRU will be used to deliver up to 500 MMSCFD of regasified LNG to Nusantara Regas? downstream pipeline.

 

The government is also building FSRU in North Sumatra and Central Java. (*)