PHE says resumption of gas supply in N. Sumatra, Aceh depends on PAG

Petromindo|Khalsa

PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) says that the resumption of normal gas supply to industries in Medan, North Sumatra Province, and in Lhokseumawe and Lhoksukon, in neighboring Aceh Province, will depend on the completion of repair and maintenance work at gas treatment facility of PT Perta Arun Gas (PAG).

PHE Media and Relations Manager Ifki Sukarya said in a statement obtained Monday that repair work of production facility at the North Sumatra Offshore (NSO) field in North Aceh was completed on December 3 after it was shut down on December 1 due to heavy storm. As such, PHE NSO and the nearby PHE NSB fields are ready to resume production since December 3.

However, as the gas from the fields must be first treated at the processing facility owned by PAG, the resumption of gas supply will depend on the completion of the repair work of the treatment facility at PAG and the arrival of imported required chemical called MDEA to reduce sulfur content.

He estimated that the repair work of the PAG facility will be completed on December 23, and the MDEA chemical to arrive in the third week of January, 2018. ?Supply (of gas) from PHE NSO will depend on the readiness of the facility at PAG,? he said in the statement.

Ifki was responding to a report in Kompas late last week that gas supply to industries in Medan and Aceh have been disrupted due to trouble at PHE NSO platform after it was hit by heavy storm. Gas supply will be below normal level until December 24, the report said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak