Thailand, Taiwan, China interested in Indonesia's LNG excess output

Potential buyers in China, Taiwan and Thailand are intersted to buy excess output from Indonesian LNG plants in 2011 and 2012, according to oil and gas upstream sector regulator BPMIGAS.

BPMIGAS' chairman R. Priyono said on Thursday the potential buyers expressed their interest at meetings with the agency's officials during a roadshow to the three countries.

One of the potential buyers is China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, he said.

Priyono said excess LNG output from Indonesian three LNG plants, that is the Bontang LNG plant in East Kalimantan, the Arun plant in Aceh and the Tangguh plant in West Papua, is estimated at a combined 60 cargoes in 2011 and 2012, but he refused to specify the excess output of each the LNG plants as well as the excess supply for each year.

"It is a market strategy. We have many competitors. Thus, we would rather not disclose it for the moment," he told reporters.

BPMIGAS will continue the roadshow with trips to Japan and South Korea, he said, without providing a schedule. (Godang/Bernard)