Indonesian president to launch massive Total gas fields

SENIPAH, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is due to inaugurate Friday a massive new gas operation off Borneo by French giant Total, the company said.

The first phase of the Sisi-Nubi gas fields off East Kalimantan's Mahakam Delta went on stream in November and is scheduled to reach peak production of 350 million cubic feet (10 million cubic metres) a day by the end of the year.

Total, which operates Sisi-Nubi with INPEX and state energy monopoly Pertamina, is the largest gas producer in Indonesia.

The massive offshore project off the eastern end of Borneo has been highly anticipated as Indonesia seeks to cash in on surging prices for oil and gas.

The Sisi-Nubi fields will expand the existing Mahakam block, enabling Total to hold output at around 2.6 billion cubic feet per day into the next decade, according to the company.