Pertamina Invests Rp30 Billion For City Gas Program In Jambi

JAMBI, Mar 21 (Antara) - State-owned enterprise PT Pertamina Ltd has invested Rp30 billion to provide two thousand new gas connections in Jambi City in 2017 to migrate customers from using liquefied petroleum gas. "The construction of the city gas network for providing two thousand gas connections is targeted for completion in June 2017," Stakeholder Relationship Manager of PT Pertagas Niaga Ratna Dumila informed Antara in Jambi on Sunday. Pertamina has appointed Pertagas Niaga, its subsidiary company, to build the city gas network, which was scheduled to offer gas connections in several sub-districts in Jambi City, Jambi Province. Pertagas Niaga thereafter appointed PT Internusa Perkasa Teknik, a third party, to develop the city gas network. Of the targeted two thousand gas connections, 1.3 thousand were earmarked to meet the household needs, while 700 connections will be offered to small customers, such as restaurants, hotels, the home industry, and micro, small, and medium enterprises. Moreover, the customers being offered the gas connections will use a prepaid system in the form of a voucher. "Households will not be charged for installing the gas connection, while small customers will pay the installation cost," he revealed. Pertagas Niaga is expecting support from the Jambi city government, particularly for obtaining the construction permit and disseminating information on the city gas program to the local residents, so that the development of the city gas network could be completed in line with the target. Currently, some four thousand households use the city gas network connections, the installation project for which was facilitated by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The gas from several wells belonging to the Joint Operating Body Pertamina-Talisman Jambi Merang, located in Musi Banyuasin District, Sumatera Selatan Province, is used to supply the network in Jambi City. Moreover, PT Transportasi Gas Indonesia has channeled gas supply through a pipeline from Musi Banyuasin to Tempino Village in Muaro Jambi District, Jambi Province.