WNTS wants swap deal fee from PLN

By Godang Sitompul

The West Natuna to Singapore (WNTS) consortium is seeking for a fee from a Gajah Baru swap deal that will allow state owned utility firm PT PLN?s Muara Tawar power plant in West Java to receive gas.

PLN will not directly get the gas from the Gajah Baru field, operated by Premier, due to the lack of infrastructure. It will instead get gas from ConocoPhillips?s Corridor Block under a gas swap deal approved by the government last year. The Corridor Block gas, which was dedicated for Singapore buyers, will be replaced with gas of the same volume from the Gajah Baru field.

?It?s true, there is a fee request. But the amount of the fee is not yet decided,? BPMIGAS Head of PR, Security and Formality Division Hadi Prasetyo told petromindo.com, refusing to confirm circulating rumors that set the fee at US$2.5 per mmbtu.

PLN Head of Oil and Gas Fuel Division M.Suryadi Mardjoeki also confirmed the request. "PLN will pay for fee once the gas is delivered.?

Under the swap deal, PLN will receive up to 40 mmscfd of gas supply.

Editing by Dadan Wijaksana