Minister says ExxonMobil to resume gas supply to Aceh fertilizer plant
Monday, August 27 2001 - 01:12 PM WIB
?This morning I met with ExxonMobil and Pertamina to discuss gas supply to PIM and they had agreed to supply 52 Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) of gas per day,? said Purnomo in an interview with Petromindo.com.
?Most likely the resumption would start this week, but that would be up PIM?s readiness to re-operate, ? he added.
PIM was forced to halt operations after ExxonMobil stopped Aceh gas operations in March on security concern..
Earlier, the chairman of the Indonesian Fertilizers Producers Association, Suhadi, said that fertilizers scarcity did not only hit Aceh, but also a number of areas in the country, and therefore it is important to supply gas to PIM and AAF.
"If the natural gas cannot be supplied to PIM, then this month we have to import a total of between 50,000 to 60,000 tons of fertilizer for the upcoming planting season," he said
ExxonMobil resumed gas operations in July but could not meet all natural gas demand of industries in the area because the company had only operated its cluster I and II gas fields, while cluster III and IV were still under repair for full production.(godang)