Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri to visit PT Badak NGL

Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri is scheduled to visit liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer PT Badak NGL later this afternoon as part of her visit to the East Kalimantan province.

The local Radar Kaltim daily said that Megawati was expected to arrive in Bontang, Badak?s homebase, at around 2.45 p.m. local time, accompanied by East Kalimantan Governor Suwarna AF.

The paper said that Megawati would inspect Badak?s LNG facility and gas refinery units. Afterwards, the Vice President would also visit state-owned fertilizer firm PT Pupuk Kaltim.

Megawati, who has been championed by the country?s senior politicians to immediately replace the embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid, will stay overnight at PT Badak?s guest house.

PT Badak is jointly owned by the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, and its production-sharing contractors TotalFinaElf of France, Unocal Corp., and Vico, both of the U.S.

The LNG producer is currently expanding its ninth train called the Train I. The company has already started aggressive marketing of the LNG prospect from the Train I to overseas market amid growing competition.

Indonesia is the world?s largest LNG exporter. Aside from the Train I, Pertamina is also developing another giant LNG project called the Tangguh LNG project in Irian Jaya, which is jointly owned with a group of production-sharing contractors led by Anglo-American energy company BP.(*)