Pertagas ready to all flare gas

By Godang Sitompul

PT Pertamina Gas (Pertagas), a subsidiary of state owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina (Persero), said it is ready and will to buy flare gas as long as it is located to the pipeline infrastructures owned by the firm and it is cheaper than the common gas.

?We are willing to buy it as long as it is located near our pipeline networks and the price should be cheaper because the supply generally does not last long,? Pertagas? President Director Hendra Jaya told Petromindo.com.

Flare gas comes out of oil fields. When petroleum crude oil is extracted and produced from onshore or offshore oil wells, raw natural gas associated with the oil is produced to the surface as well. Especially in areas of the world lacking pipelines and other gas transportation infrastructure, vast amounts of such associated gas are commonly flared as waste or unusable gas. Preferably, the associated gas is reinjected into the reservoir, which saves it for future use while maintaining higher well pressure and crude oil producibility

The ministry of energy and mineral resources plans to issue a regulation which among others set rules for the commercialization of the flare gas.

Director General of Oil and Gas IGN Wiratmaja said the country?s flare gas potentials are estimated at 200 mmsfcd.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon