CNG offered in gas conversion program

BANDUNG: State oil and gas company Pertamina says it is ready to supply Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as fuel for vehicles in Java under the government-initiated gas conversion program.

The government has yet to decide on the kind of gas for the program, expected to commence on April 1.

However, Raden Priyono, who heads Pertamina’s upstream operations, said that CNG would be a better choice than liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is imported.

“We have estimated that we will need between 53 million metric British thermal units [MMBTUs] and 58 MMBTUs for across Java. We can ensure its supply,” Priyono said at a meeting in Bandung on Friday.

While being abundant in reserve, CNG is considered better than LNG because it is easier to use.

He said South Sumatra, North Sumatra and Kalimantan had the potential to produce CNG.