Samudera to expand domestic gas transport business, build new terminals

By Nova Farida

IDX-listed shipping company PT Samudera lndonesia Tbk (SMDR) is teaming up with Japan?s gas vessels operator AST Inc to expand its domestic gas transport business.

SMDR Managing Director, Bani M. Mulia said the company will expand its domestic gas transport business via PT Samudera Amanah Tanker (SAT).

He said that the company currently operates a gas transport vessel with capacity of 4,000 tons, and is seeking to acquire vessels with higher capacity of more than 5,000 tons, a key requirement for SAT to have a foreign investment company status.

Elsewhere, Bani said that SMDR also plans to build two new terminals this year, which will increase the number of its terminals to six. He said that the company has allocated US$45 million-$50 million of its 2017 capital expenditure plan of $100 million for the terminal projects.

?We?re optimistic the two terminals can start operation this year,? he said on Wednesday, but declined to disclose the location of the two terminals.

SMDR has four subsidiaries each operating a terminal including PT Prima Nur Panurjwan, PT Pelabuhan Samudera Palaran, PT Perusahaan Bongkat Muat Tangguh Samudera Jaya and PT Samudera Sarana Terminal. The terminals are located in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, and in Palaran, East Kalimantan.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak