RI President, Japanese Prime Minister to inaugurate PGN?s pipeline

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to be present at the planned inauguration by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the South Sumatra-West Java (SSWJ) Phase II pipeline owned state owned gas company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara.

PGN president Soetikno however did not specify when the inauguration would be held.

?Since the pipeline is planned to be inaugurated by the President of Republic of Indonesia and Japanese Prime Minister, we have to do our utmost (to prepare the start of the operation of the pipeline),? Soetikno said.

He said PGN is currently carrying out tests on the pipeline after completing its construction recently. The tests include ?cleaning, gauging, nitrogen filing, hydrotest and drying?.

Correcting earlier report by Petromindo.Com that PGN has started delivering natural gas during the tests, Soetikno said PGN had yet to start delivering gas through the pipeline.

?We shall deliver gas (through the pipeline) only after everything is clear and ready for commercialization,? he said.

The SSWJ Phase II is aimed to deliver natural gas from ConocoPhillips? Corridor Block in South Sumatra to northern part of West Java?s industrial consumers. However, the pipeline will also serve as transporter for gas supply from Pertamina?s Pagardewa field until the completion of the Phase I project in March 2007. (Godang)