Pertamina close to secure LNG cargoes from Qatar

State oil and gas company Pertamina said it had nearly secured 4 cargoes of LNG Qatar to be supplied to Indonesian LNG buyers for mid-year delivery.

?Negotiation with Qatar is almost complete,? Pertamina president Ari Soemarno told Petromindo.Com Thursday. He, however, declined to give further detail.

Indonesia, the largest LNG exporter is scrambling to find LNG supply from overseas LNG plants as gas supply problems in Aceh and East Kalimantan had caused the country to be unable to meet its LNG supply commitments to its East Asian buyers.

Indonesia is lobbying its customers hard to accept further supply reduction and to find overseas LNG supply to meet commitment.

Pertamina president director Ari Soemarno earlier said that buyers, especially from Japan had indicated unwillingness to further defer or cancel the cargoes. Ari said that the Japanese buyers demanded that Indonesia substitute the cargoes, which meant Indonesia must seek to buy overseas LNG to meet its commitment.

Indonesia is expecting up to 24 cargoes of LNG supply shortage to meet its annual commitment in 2006, Ari said last March. (godang)