Pertamina forms gas reserve committee

State oil and gas company Pertamina said on Wednesday it had set up the so-called "gas reserve management committee" to optimize the use of the country's gas reserves.

Company upstream director Gatot K. Wiroyudo told reporters that the committee's task was also to optimize the development of the country's gas reserves as well as to ensure all production-sharing contractors get fair portions of gas demands.

Gatot said such committees had been formed to manage gas reserves in South Sumatra and East Java based on the model now being used in East Kalimantan.

"In East Kalimantan, whenever new demand for gas arises, it will be divided proportionally between (gas operators in the area, that is) Unocal, Vico and TotalFinaElf, according to their certified and uncommitted reserves," Gatot said.

"Similar scheme is now being used in South Sumatra and East Java," he added.

The scheme, said Gatot, would ensure optimum exploitation and fairness among operators and would provide incentives for operators to conduct more exploitation and to immediately certify any reserves they have found. (godang)