Pertamina expects China to award LNG contract to two suppliers

State oil and gas firm Pertamina said on Monday that it expected China to award the liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract to two suppliers.

?Pertamina and BP are looking forward to get 1.5 million tons per annum supply contract from China,? said Pertamina president Baihaki Hakim in a parliamentary hearing Monday.

The Tangguh gas liquefaction project, backed by the state oil and gas company Pertamina and BP Plc, is on a shortlist along with Australia LNG Pty and Qatar to supply gas to China's first LNG import terminal at Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province starting 2005.

Baihaki also said it expected China to announce the winners sometime in mid-year.

Baihaki went on to say that Pertamina expected to clinch LNG sales deal of 1.5 million tons per annum to Philippine?s PNOC this year in order to meet the requirement of 3 million tons per annum supply order to justify the development of Tangguh LNG plant.

However, earlier, BP Indonesia president Bill Schrader told Petromindo.Com in an interview that even with just 1.5 million tons per annum supply contract, it would go on with the development of Tangguh LNG project. (alex)