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Monday, April 30, 2007

SOUTH KOREA FIRMS IN PERTAMINA DEAL

Business News - Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State-run Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) and SK Corp. are to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Tuesday on oil and gas exploration and production with Indonesia's national oil and gas firm, Pertamina.

The three companies will collaborate on oil and gas exploration and production both in Indonesia and other countries,
KNOC exploration manager Sukyeon Hwang told The Jakarta Post following a meeting with senior officials from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on Monday.

The meeting was only one of many to be held during a three-day visit by a South Korean business delegation, which comprises 190 senior executives representing major South Korean companies. They will be in Jakarta until Wednesday.

During Monday's meeting, another Korean energy firm, E1, said it would form a joint venture with Pertamina to build an LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) plant in South Sumatra.

E1 representative Moon Soo Dong said the plant would have a designed capacity of 350 million cubic feet a day, and would cost about US$155 million to build.

He also said construction of the plant would begin in 2008, and that it was expected to commence commercial operations in the first half of 2010.

In the electricity sector,
Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) said that it agreed with state-owned electricity firm PLN to build a gas-fired power plant in Bojonegara, Banten, with an installed capacity of 750 megawatts (MW).

The plant is scheduled for completion between 2009 and 2010.

During the meeting, the world's largest LNG importer, Korea Gas (Kogas), said it was interested in taking part in the construction of a third train (processing unit) at the LNG plant in Tangguh, Papua.

The Tangguh LNG plant, owned by a BP Indonesia-led consortium, takes gas from a field that contains proven reserves of more than 14 trillion cubic feet. Trains I and II are currently in the final stages of construction. Based on existing contracts, Tangguh will deliver most of its LNG to South Korean firms Posco and SK Power.

According to a Kogas executive, who requested anonymity, the plan to invest in the Tangguh plant was part of the company's strategy to secure future LNG supplies from the plant.

Of the total of 24.6 million tons of LNG that South Korea imports every year, Kogas imports 5.3 million tons from Indonesia.

The company also expressed its interest in participating in the development of the country's gas fields by announcing its plan to take part in the next government tender for oil and gas blocks.

SOUTH KOREAN BUILD RAILWAY IN BORNEO

RI, South Korea sign billion-dollar rail deal
05/01/07 10:02

Jakarta (
ANTARA News) - Two South Korean companies signed an agreement with an Indonesian state firm Monday to build a railway line in Borneo in a deal worth one billion dollars, a report here said.

South Korea's POSCO and Canatect Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding with PT Kereta Api Indonesia, according to Detikcom news portal.

Indonesian Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa was quoted saying the railway line would be built in east Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo island.

No further details were available and a transport ministry spokesman declined comment.

The reported deal comes on the first day of a visit here by a large South Korean delegation made up of business leaders and government officials to follow up on an agreement to forge a strategic partnership between the two countries.

The agreement was reached during South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun's visit to Indonesia in December.

Radjasa was quoted saying Monday's deal was the second since a new transport law was enacted, allowing the private sector to play a greater role in the development and operation of railways in Indonesia.

A Japanese consortia qualified this month to bid for a railway project in West Java at a cost of about 660 million dollars. (*)


S Korean bizmen to build railway track in E Kalimantan
04/30/07 23:52

Jakarta (
ANTARA News) - South Korean businessmen were interested in investment in a railway track project for coal transportation to a special port in East Kalimantan, a member of cabinet said.

"Their investment is significant," Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu said after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between state-run railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia and the businessmen here Monday.

She said that the ratification of the railway law has attracted the investors to invest in the sector.

Since it is a cooperation with PT KAI, she said she did not remember whether or not the businessmen would fully finance the project.

"The realization depends on the construction the rail tracks," Mari said.

Indonesian and South Korean businessmen also signed a deal on the building of an infusion factory in West Java.

Around 190 South Korean businessmen are also interested in investment in the textile industry.

They will evaluate whether or not they can invest in the sector and assist Indonesia to revitalize its textile machinery.

The minister said her office did not find any investment in 2006 and hoped there would be an increase this year.(*)


Copyright © 2007
ANTARA

Thursday, April 26, 2007

OPEN SOURCE COMMUNITY SHOULD SET UP COMPANIES

Open Source Community Should Set Up Companies
Thursday, 26 April, 2007 | 17:03 WIB


TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government wants open source software developers to establish software companies.

Information and Communication Minister Sofyan Djalil has said that up until now, open source users have experienced problems because there are no user support services.

The support, said Sofyan, takes the form of usage consultation and assistance.

“As a result, the users are forced to be independent,” he said yesterday (04/25) in Jakarta.

The situation has resulted in open source software being considered less attractive by many computer users.

In addition, open source community could also take part in computer software legalization tenders in regional government offices by forming companies.

“So that government officials and general users know where to ask when they face a problem,” said Sofyan.
In addition, the software legalization process would be cheaper and could empower local potential in developing software.

According to Rusmanto, Editor-in-Chief of InfoLinux Magazine, there are already many open source developer companies.

“They are innumerable,” said Rusmanto.

In fact, all information technology companies in Indonesia are capable of providing open source software.

Many information technology companies, said Rusmanto, are ready to join government computer software legalization tenders.

“As long as the conditions are not discriminative and the tender is neutral,” he said.

Based on research results, the use of open source can reduce cost by between 50 and 70 percent compared to using proprietary software.

M Nur Rochmi

SEVEN GAS CONTRACTS SIGNED

Seven Gas Contracts Signed
Thursday, 26 April, 2007 | 15:26 WIB


TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Seven gas trading contracts with a total volume of 738.52 trillion British thermal unit (TBTU) valued at US$3.1 billion were signed yesterday (04/25).

Head of Oil and Gas Executing Body Kardaya Warnika has said that of the total volume, almost half of them were used to meet the gas needs of electric generating plants belonging to PT PLN (the state-owned electricity company).

“Of the agreed amount, 343 TBTU are aimed at electricity needs whereas the remainder will be used for meeting gas needs in Pupuk Sriwidjaja's factory, fuel refinery in Balikpapan and Java,” said Kardaya after witnessing the contract signing in Jakarta, yesterday (04/25).

Among the seven signed contracts, four gas contracts were Pertamina EP's with US$430 million.

Kardaya said that Pertamina EP made use of flare gas from Semanggi, East Kandanghaur, Pegaden and Sukamandi Fields.

Financial Director of PT PLN Parno Isworo said that there was a possibility that the gas will be used for the Muara Tawar and other electricity generating plants in Java.

PLN bought the gas at a price of US$2.95 per MMBTU.

“By using gas, compared to oil-based fuel, we can reduce our expenses by around Rp36 trillion,” said Parno.

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