Pertamina leaders to join in Megawati’s visit to Japan

State oil and gas company Pertamina will urge Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyers to extend their contracts with the firm when visiting Pertamina officials meet with them this week, a Pertamina official said Wednesday.

Pertamina leaders including its president director Ariffi Nawawi are scheduled to leave for Japan late Wednesday (today) to join President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, who already left Indonesia for Tokyo on Tuesday to attend the celebration of the 20th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan cooperation.

“We will propose that they extend their contracts with us. If possible, contract volumes be increased,” Pertamina downstream director Hari Purnomo told reporters.

Hari said that while in Japan they would assure its LNG importers that Pertamina would improve its performance so as to guarantee its contracts with them.

Pertamina said earlier that an 8.4 million ton contract with Japan expires in 2010 and another 3.6 million ton deal will end in 2011. (godang)