Pertamina to raise oil, gas output in 2008

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina targets to produce 181,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) this year, an increase of 26 percent from last year.

In 2007, Pertamina's oil output grew 10 percent to 143,000 bpd from 129,000 bpd, but it was below target of 155,000 bpd, Pertamina?s upstream director Sukusen Soemarinda said on Thursday.

The company's natural gas output is projected to rise to 1.485 billion cubic feet a day (BCFD) this year from 1.114 BCFD in 2007, he said

The 2007 gas output was also below the target of 1.424 BCFD.

To achieve the 2008 target, Pertamina will intensify exploration at its main fields in Sukowati in East Java, Poleng TAC offshore East Java and Pondok Tengah, Tambun, West Java, accelerate production at new fields and apply new technology at old fields in North Sumatra, Jambi, Cepu, East Kalimantan and Papua, he said. (godang)