Pertamina, BP launch public consultation on Muriah gas project

The state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, and BP Muriah Ltd. launched on Monday a public consultation process to explain about the Kepodang offshore gas project, which administratively located in 8 regencies in Central Java and East Java provinces, to the local people.

The regencies include Semarang, Demak, Jepara, Pati, and Rembang (Central Java), and Tuban, Lamongan, and Gresik (East Java).

The consultation process, held from Dec. 3 until January 2002, will also gather information and inputs from the people.

The result of the consultation would be incorporated in the environmental impact assessment study.

Pertamina, and BP will jointly develop the offshore gas field, located about 180 kilometers northeast of Semarang, the capital of Central Java.

The project, called Kepodang/Muriah field, has proven gas reserves of about 500 BCF of gas. The field was discovered in 1992.

BP would set up facilities which could process 170 billion British Thermal Units of gas from the Kepodang field between 2003 and 2004, with production to last until 2021.

BP said the gas from the Kepodang field would be channeled to the Tambak Lorok gas powered electricity plant owned by state electricity company PLN in Semarang, through undersea pipelines of 205 kilometers.(Amoros)