Petrogres to use diesel fuel as substitute for gas from Pagerungan field

East Java-based petrochemical maker PT Petrokimia Gresik (Petrogres) will early next month use diesel fuel as a source of energy for its plant as natural gas supply from BP?s Pagerungan field will decrease due to maintenance work at area gas production facilities, Suara Karya daily reported Monday.

Maintenance work in Pagerungan would last four days, starting from May 3, Petrogres? director Arifin Tasrif told reporters in Surabaya over the weekend. Gas supply from the field would return to normal May 7, Arifin quoted BP officials as saying.

?BP Kangean had informed us about its plan, and we have taken anticipatory measures,? Arifin said. BP Kangean, a unit of world energy giant BP Plc, operates Kangean Block offshore East Java where Pagerungan field is located.

Petrogres uses gas from Pagerungan as raw material to produce fertilizer.

Arifin said that the decrease in gas supply from Pagerungan would not seriously affect Petrogres? capability to supply enough fertilizer to its customers. This was because the company had recently imported fertilizer from South Korea and Japan, and from fertilizer makers PT Pupuk Kaltim (East Kalimantan) and PT Pusri (South Sumatra).

Pagerungan produces 150 million cubic feet per day of gas. (*)