After Success of ‘A Separation,’ Iran to Host Cultural Festival

Jakarta Globe, Ade Mardiyati, March 02, 2012

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Indonesia is set to host
 Cultural Week from March 7 to 13 in Jakarta. It will feature film screenings,
 workshops on Iranian arts, photography exhibitions and traditional music
performances. (Agency Photo)

               

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Indonesia is set to host Cultural Week from March 7 to 13 in Jakarta. It will feature film screenings, workshops on Iranian arts, photography exhibitions and traditional music performances.

As part of the festivities, the embassy will also host a film festival at Pusat Perfilman Usmar Ismail in Kuningan, South Jakarta, from March 9 to 12. There will be discussions with Iranian directors and actors.

“Through this Cultural Week event, we are trying to introduce the culture and people of the Republic of Iran to the Indonesian people,” said Mahmoud Farazandeh, the Iranian ambassador, during a recent news conference at his residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

“There are plenty of Indonesian people I met who have expressed interest in Iranian films, so we decided to run this event.”

Among the films to be screened are “A Span of Heaven,” “The Third Day,” “The Sun Shines on All Equally” and “Eighth Sky.”

Iranian cinema has recently been thrust onto the international stage with the success of “A Separation,” which won Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, among some 45 film award wins for the drama.

While most modern movies portray violence, romance and unique relationships, the message of Iranian films, according to Farazandeh, is to show the world the problems that exist in the country. Some of these problems are unique to Iran, while some problems, such as “A Separation’s” portrayal of a couple struggling to care for their children and an ailing parent, are universal to all cultures.

“We don’t present merely entertainment. There is always a message we want to deliver,” he said. “It is how to say something without using violence or sexual scenes.”

The film industry, Farazandeh said, was one way to voice revolution in Iran.

“We don’t believe that violence can help reach revolution. Instead, it is the values of humanity that can,” he said. “Our revolution is a cultural one.” 

Cultural Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran

March 7-13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Museum Nasional, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 12, Central Jakarta

Fifteen countries to join Tour of Singkarak cycling race

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/02/2009 4:06 PM

Fifteen countries have so far expressed commitment to participate in the Tour of Singkarak 2009 cycling race to be held in West Sumatra April 29 to May 3, 2009.

Culture and tourism ministry's director general Sapta Nirwandar said in Jakarta on Thursday that the countries include New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Iran, Australia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Qatar.

"Around 85 percent of the construction works of new routes for the cycling race has been completed," he said as quoted by Antara state news agency.

Participants of the Tour of Singkarak will cover a total distance of 459 km and compete for a total prize of US$60,000.

The race route is to consist of four segments: Padang-Bukittinggi segment (92.3 km), Bukittinggi-Sawahlunto segment (85.1 km), Sawahlunto-Danau Singkarak segment (90.2 km), and Lake Singkarak- lake Kembar - Lake Singkarak segment (188 km).

The cycling race, which is aimed at promoting tourism in West Sumatra Province, will be accompanied by music concerts, a food festival, and a fun bike event.

West Sumatra Province was visited by a total of 1.4 million tourists, including about 100,000 foreigners, last year, he said.

The province has set a target of receiving at least 1.5 million tourists in 2009.

Russia offers oil extraction technologies to Indonesia

Tehran Times, March 8, 2009

JAKARTA (RIA Novosti) - Russia’s Petros company and Indonesia’s Nuansa Group have signed a memorandum on joint implementation of Russian technologies in the development of abandoned oil fields in Indonesia. 

“There are many oil fields in Indonesia whose exploration has been abandoned for various reasons. We need new technologies to continue their development, and we are glad that we can now use Russian technologies,” Nuansa Group president Susanto Suparso said at the signing ceremony late on Thursday. 

Petros company was established in 1991 on the basis of a research institute in Moscow, and specializes in the development of technologies allowing more efficient oil extraction. 

“Technologies for the development of abandoned oil wells that the Russian company is offering to our Indonesian partners are very effective from an ecological standpoint, and more cost-efficient than those offered by Western firms,” said Alexander Ivanov, Russian ambassador to Indonesia. 

The Russian firm plans to initially implement its technologies at abandoned oil deposits in East Kalimantan on the Island of Borneo, and in central parts of the Java Island. 

According to the Oil & Gas Journal, Indonesia’s proven oil reserves amounted to 4.3 billion barrels in January 2007.

Indonesia opens wider opportunity for cooperation with Iran

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will open wider opportunity for cooperation with Iran in the field of culture, tourism, social, as well as economy, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said here on Tuesday. 

"We are so serious to open our cooperation relation through cultural bridge with Iran. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has visited Iran, and it was reciprocated by his Iranian counterpart Ahmadinejad to visit Indonesia later. Now is time for me at ministerial level to improve the two countries cooperation relations in various fields," Jero Wacik told the press after opening "Iran Cultural Week" at National Museum. 

According to the minister, on of the examples of good cooperation between the two countries was the activity of cultural exchange which has just been dedicated. 

"Last year I brought Indonesian cultural mission to Iran and this year Iran comes to Indonesia to introduce its art and culture, and it is an important effort to cultivate mutual understanding between the two countries," Jero Wacik said. 

Meanwhile, Iranian presidential adviser and the chairman of the Organization of Iranian Islamic Cultural Relation Dr Mehdi Mostafavi said art and cultural cooperation was an instrument to unite the two countries in economic, and educational relation. 

Jero Wacik said the cooperation between the two countries was marked with a direct flight between Jakarta and Tehran which is to start on March 18 this year. 

He said the direct flight between the two capital cities was expected to increase the number of Iranian tourists visiting Indonesia. 

"Then, after the direct flight between Jakarta and Tehran is successful and nothing intervenes, we will continue with direct flight from Tehran to Denpasar, Bali," Jero Wacik said. 

He said the Iranian Cultural Week at National Museum would last from March 3-10 and the visitors were expected to enjoy Iranian traditional music performance, contemporary paintings and miniature, calligraphy, film, and books on Iranian history, art and culture.

Iranian Embassy to hold cultural week

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Iranian Embassy in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Culture will organize an Iranian Cultural Week at the National Museum here on March 3-10.   

"For the first time we will organize an Iranian Cultural Week in Indonesia as part of efforts to enhance relations between the two countries," head of the embassy's cultural section Mohammad Ali Rabbani said on Friday.   

Indonesia and Iran which had many things in common had signed a number of agreements in culture, tourism, youth and sports since 32 years ago, he said.   

But the implementation of the agreements still fell short of expectation and therefore, most Indonesian people knew much about Iran from the political point of view, he said.   

Indonesia introduced its culture to the Iranian people two years ago and now was Iran's turn to do the same in Indonesia, he said. 

Pertamina plans refinery projects

Mustaqim Adamrah, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Fri, 02/13/2009 10:53 AM  

State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina plans to build two new refineries and expand its biggest existing one to meet domestic demand and cut imports. 

President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono said on Thursday the country produced a great deal of oil but still had to import some to meet local demand for refined products because of lack of refineries. 

“We still import fuels in a large volume. Citing (the country’s) daily oil production, whether it is for export, or for own consumption, it will be more efficient for us to produce oil for our (own benefit),” he said at Pertamina’s headquarters after a meeting.

“Therefore, (Pertamina) will build three refineries within three to five years,” he added.

Pertamina corporate secretary Toharso explained that two of the planned refineries would be new ones — located in Bojonegara, Banten, and in Tuban, East Java — while the other one would be an expansion of the existing, biggest refinery in Balongan, West Java.

“The total capacity of the three planned refineries will be 400,000 barrel per day (bpd),” he said.

Pertamina director for processing Rukmi Hadihartini earlier said Pertamina would start building the Tuban refinery after it finished building the Banten refinery, which was scheduled for completion in 2012.

The Tuban refinery, she said, would have a capacity of 200,000 bpd.

The Balongan refinery, which is one of seven oil refineries owned by Pertamina, alone has a production capacity of 125,000 bpd.

According to Pertamina data, 226.1 million barrel of fuels were produced and 138.7 million barrel were imported in 2007, while the country produced 227.2 million barrel of fuels and imported 142.1 million barrels in 2008.

For the time being, Toharso said Pertamina was still looking for partners for crude oil supply and financing for the new refineries, while it had yet to calculate the total investment actually needed.

“We’re considering an Iranian company to become our crude oil supplier,” he said. “But the process is progressing slowly and we’re trying to expedite this.”

Triharso also said Pertamina would consider proposing to the government to be allowed to fund the projects from a portion of the government’s dividends.

The projects, he said, had long been planned but yet to come into reality because of the crude oil supply and financing issues.

President Yudhoyono said investors tended to become reluctant to join in the projects because of, among other things, small margins and the uncertainty of the market.

“Therefore we need a proper structure of cost and benefit and need to give investors a guarantee about the market. I told them that I guaranteed the market as demand continued to rise.”

He also said the government might provide investors with fiscal incentives to attract them. 

“(Profit) margins in the development of these refineries are not too big. Therefore, fiscal incentives are necessary to attract investors,” said Yudhoyono.

“I want this fiscal incentive plan to be discussed immediately.”

Likewise, Pertamina financial director Ferederick S.T. Siahaan also said a raft of incentives would be useful for investors to realize the capital-intensive refinery projects.

For instance, he said, the Bojonegara refinery needed at least $4.2 billion in investment.

Related Article:

Pertamina ‘Hopes’ for 3 Refineries by 2012

Pertamina: Refinery Project Requires Tax Relief

The Jakarta Globe, Reva Sasistiya, February 7, 2009 

A $7.8 billion refinery project in Banten Province involving state oil and gas producer PT Pertamina, Petrofield Refining Company of Malaysia and the National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Co., or NIORDC, might be delayed unless the government expands tax incentives for the project, a Pertamina representative said on Thursday. 

“We’ve asked the Ministry of Finance for additional tax breaks,” said Rukmi Hadihartini, Pertamina’s processing director. “The ministry has agreed, but we still have yet to discuss the matter in detail.” 

Pertamina is aiming for a 14 percent profit margin on the refinery project, which is scheduled to start operations in 2012, and is seeking a permanent tax exemption from the government. 

“With the incentives the government is currently offering, our profit margins on this refinery would only be 10 percent,” said Rukmi. “Given the multibillion dollar investment required and other high risks associated with the project, investors might become reluctant to continue.” 

Pri Agung Rachmanto, an analyst at the ReforMiner Institute, which studies energy issues, said the fall in crude oil prices has made the refinery project less attractive to investors. 

“The government should support [Pertamina’s request for more tax breaks] because the venture lacks the funds to cover the cost of the project,” he said. “The government should offer additional credits for import taxes, corporate taxes and investment taxes related to specific types of refining equipment.” 

Pertamina and NIORDC have each agreed to take 40 percent stakes in the refinery, while Petrofield has agreed take the remainder. 

If the project goes ahead as planned, Pertamina will likely finance 35 percent of its share of the construction costs with internal funds and the rest through loans. Rukmi said Pertamina will review the project’s financing requirements in the coming weeks. 

In the early stages of operation, the facility is expected to refine 150,000 barrels per day, with production gradually expanding to 300,000 bpd. 

NIORDC had agreed to supply 150,000 bpd, but Pertamina is still seeking the remaining 150,000 bpd from other as-yet-unidentified Middle Eastern producers. 

Pertamina currently operates six refineries, with total production capacity of 1.035 million bpd. However, it is only able to supply 70 percent of domestic oil product consumed, with the balance being imported. 

Rising domestic fuel demand has heightened the urgency of expanding refining capacity.

New oil refinery in Cepu to starts operating in February 2009

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government expects to start operating a new oil refinery in Cepu in February next year. 

The director general of oil and gas of the ministry of energy and mineral resources, Evita H Legowo, said here on Wednesday the refinery would process crude from the Cepu Block of oil fields into a number of fuel oil products. 

"The capacity of the refinery reaches 6,000 barrels of crude a day," she said according to the office website. 

Evita said the government were planning to develop two other oil refineries namely in Banyuasin with a capacity of 800 barrels a day and Bojanegara with a capacity of 300,000 barrels a day. 

The refinery in Banyuasin will be developed jointly by the local government and a private party while in Bojanegara by state-owned oil company PT Pertamina and an Iranian company. 

Evita however said she was not sure yet if the refinery project in Bojanegara would go as planned. 

Until now she said Indonesia only has seven refineries producing around 900,000 barrels of oil fuels a day to meet domestic need and they are all operated by Pertamina. 

She said fuel oil demands in the country had reached 1.4 million barrels a day and therefore the country had to import the shortfall.

Pertamina, Iran firm to build $6b refinery

Riyadi Suparno , The Jakarta Post , Tehran | Wed, 03/12/2008 1:34 AM

State oil company PT Pertamina signed here Tuesday a joint venture shareholder agreement with National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Co. (NIORDC) and Petrofield Refining Company of Malaysia to build a US$6 billion oil refinery plant in Banten.

Pertamina president Ari Soemarno explained that within two weeks of the signing, the three parties would establish a joint venture company in Indonesia which would start immediately on the project to be located in the neighboring province near Bojonegara.

If things proceed as expected, the refinery plant will be ready by 2012, with most of the four-year period to be consumed with construction of the physical plant itself.

"We don't know yet the possible impact of the new sanctions (adopted by the United Nations Security Council) against Iran on our project. But we hope this project will proceed as is," Ari said.

He said Pertamina and Oil Refinery Industries would each have a 40 percent stake in the new company, with Petrofield holding the other 20 percent.

Pertamina, he said, would use a combination of internal financing and loans to come up with its capital contribution to the project. The loans were expected to make up some 65 percent of the total.

During phase one, the refinery would run at 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Pertamina and its partners are planing to eventually expand refinery capacity to 300,000 barrels per day.

"Iran is committed to supplying half of the crude oil needs of the refinery, in other words, 150,000 barrels per day," NIORDC president Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said.

The 300,000 barrels crude oil figure translates into 200,000 barrels of fuel, or about one sixth of the country's total needs.

Currently, because of limitations in domestic refinery capacity, Indonesia imports fuel - -mostly from Singapore -- to the tune of about 400,000 barrels of crude oil equivalent daily.

Thus, once the Banten refinery plant is up and running, it is hoped the coutry will be further able to realize substantial reductions in its dependence on imported fuels.

In addition to the oil refinery plant, Pertamina is also looking into the possibility of investesting into the upstream oil industry in Iran.

Pertamina, Ari said, has participated in a tender for the Laleh offshore oil and gas block, in which it ranked second in the list after an Iranian oil company.

"The Iranian company has agreed to take us as a partner in developing this Laleh oil field. So, we are looking into this possibility of entering into Iran's upstream industry," he said.

Laleh is one of 17 oil and gas blocks the Iranian government has recently put on offer.

Iran is the second largest oil producer at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Pertamina set to sign $2b deal with Iran

Ika Krismantari , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 03/06/2008 1:21 AM

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina will sign an agreement with an Iranian firm to build an oil refinery in Banten with a capacity of 200,000 barrels of oil per day.

If the joint venture materializes, the US$2 billion facility will be the second-largest oil refinery in the country.

President director Ari Soemarno said Wednesday a team from the company's processing and refinery division was on its way to Tehran to meet with representatives of Iran's state oil company, National Iran Oil Company.

Ari was speaking to reporters after the inauguration of the company's new directors.

The team will discuss a number of points before the signing, including the security of the crude oil supply.

The two companies had long planned the project but negotiations stalled over a disagreement on the refinery's oil supply.

Having initially promised to be able to supply up to 300,000 barrels of oil, the Middle East country said later it would only be able to supply 150,000 barrels, putting the project in jeopardy.

However, recently Pertamina struck a deal with Libya for another supply of 50,000 barrels of oil, reviving negotiations.

"We think a refinery with a 150,000-barrel capacity is not economically feasible. But it definitely is with 200,000 barrels now that Libya can help," Ari said.

Also on Wednesday, Pertamina replaced three of its directors.

Two of the three are women, Karen Agustiawan and Rukmi Hadi Hartini, replacing Sukusen Soemarinda and Suroso Atmomartoyo for directors of upstream and processing, respectively.

Waluyo, a former member of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), became the director for general affairs and human resources, replacing Sumarsono.

State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan A. Djalil said the next target for a shake-up in state firms would be power company PT PLN as the tenure of a number of directors, including president director Eddie Widiono and finance director Parno Isworo, are nearing their ends.

Bapepam-LK signs deal with Iranian counterpart on sharia cooperation

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's Capital Market and Non-Bank Financial Institution Supervision Agency (Bapepam-LK) and the Securities and Exchange Organization of Iran (SEO) signed an agreement on Monday to enhance bilateral cooperation, especially in the sharia stock market.

"We're still behind on the development of sharia products. With this agreement I hope there will be some exchange of trainings on the development of sharia products," Bapepam-LK Fuad Rahmany said at the signing ceremony.

He said that mutual cooperation with Iran would be good for Indonesia in terms of developing its sharia market, as Iran's sharia market enjoys total capital of US$50 billion and an average price to earnings ratio of five.

Besides cooperating on the sharia sector, the two countries would also exchange training, information and know-how in order to develop institutional capacity and better regulate and supervise their stock markets.

He said the cooperation with Iran fit within the framework of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, a worldwide association of national securities regulatory commissions.

Djoko Hendratto, head of Bapepam's bureau of investment, said Monday's memorandum of understanding was expected to open up possibilities for each of the two countries to list companies on the other's stock exchange.

Dual listing allows a company to list its shares on more than one stock exchange to improve the liquidity of shares and give investors more trading alternatives.

Erry Firmansyah, head of the Indonesia Stock Exchange, said the exchange had finished drafting a regulation on dual listings and would submit it to Bapepam-LK this week for approval.(ndr)

PT Pusri`s plan to invest in Iran to be finalized December 12

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A plan of Indonesian fertilizer company PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja (Pusri) and National Petrochemical Company of Iran (NPCI) to jointly set up a fertilizer plant in Iran will be finalized at a meeting in Jakarta on December 12, 2007, an Indonesian minister said.

State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil said here on Monday he would have a meeting with the management of PT Pusri to discuss the state company`s plan to invest in the joint venture in Iran which would be named Hengam Petrochemical Company.

Meanwhile, PT Pusri President Director Dadang H Kodri said an Iranian delegation would hold a meeting with Minister Sofyan Djalil on Monday afternoon (Dec. 3).

The joint fertilizer plant in Iran was expected to have a capacity of producing 2,500 tons of urea and ammonia per day.

Around 50 percent of the plant`s production would be marketed in Iran and the rest exported to other countries, including Indonesia.

PT Pusri was planning to set aside US$97 million as its equity in the project to be paid up over a period of three years starting at the time construction of the plant is begun.

Kodri said PT Pusri was interested in the joint venture in Iran because Iran was prepared to supply the needed gas at the competitive price of less than US$2 per MMBTU which was much lower than the present gas price in Indonesia at US$3.5 to US$4 per MMBTU.

Pertamina, Petroecuador ink exploration agreement

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina will team up with Ecuador's national oil firm, Petroecuador, for the preliminary exploration of three blocks in the Latin American country.

Witnessed by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Ecuador's President Rafael Correra Delgado, the two state firms on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation at the State Palace in Jakarta.

Later in the day, on the sidelines of a luncheon with Ecuador's president, Pertamina president director Ari H. Soemarno said his company was exploring the possibility of expanding its overseas operation to Ecuador and was set to spend US$50 million during the first year of operation to gather technical data on the three blocks' reserves.

The names of the three blocks, according to Ari, are Guanta, Dureno and offshore Lago Agrio.

Petroecuador executive president Carlos Pareja Yannuzzelli said the partnership with Pertamina was forged to realize the government of Ecuador's goal to increase its oil production.

Ecuador, which was just granted membership to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries during a recent summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has produced about 500,000 barrels of oil per day this year.

"We will give Pertamina 90 days to gather all the technical data, and after that we hope Pertamina can submit their offer for the actual exploration development plan," Yannuzzelli said.

He said the form of the partnership and the share composition between the two companies in each block would be decided later, pending the results of the preliminary exploration.

Refusing to give exact figures, he estimated the investment for the projects would involve "hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars".

Monday's agreement bodes well to Pertamina's intention to pursue overseas expansion, to help improve its output and global standing.

It just won an oil block in Qatar, in which it holds a 25 percent interest, with partner Wintershall -- the world's largest German-based oil and gas drilling company.

Pertamina is also the operator of two oil blocks in Libya, onshore and offshore, and the holder of a 15 percent share in an offshore oil field in Sudan operated by China National Petroleum Corporation and a local partner.

Commenting on the company's recent bid for an oil block in Iran, Ari said the company had been outbid by other companies.

"However, the Iranian government is still considering having us as its partner on other projects. We are still discussing it," he said.

RI, Timor Leste develop power program

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

SURABAYA, East Java: Indonesia's Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) will assist Timor Leste National University (UNTL) in planning and developing power plants for the energy-strapped former Indonesian province.

The dean of UNTL's Engineering Department, Victor Soares, said Timor Leste needed new power plants and energy sources to meet the growing needs of its people.

"ITS has a long experience in energy and technical research. By engaging ITS in this cooperation we hope we will be able to construct new power plants in our country," said Soares on Tuesday.

The cooperation with the Surabaya-based ITS was suggested by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has assisted UNTL in improving the quality of its teaching staff.

"JICA recommended ITS as a partner in developing the power plants program because it has the necessary technical skills," said Soares.

Iran has also expressed interest in cooperating with ITS in the field of education.

The director of Iranian student affairs for the South Pacific, Vahid Alli, said Iran wanted to establish teacher or student exchange programs with ITS.

Pertamina eyes Iran oil block after success in Qatar

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After winning an oil and gas tender in Qatar recently, state oil and gas company PT Pertamina is now setting its sights on an exploration right in Iran.

"We are biding for the Laleh block," Pertamina upstream director Sukusen Soemarinda confirmed Monday, referring to one of 17 oil and gas blocks that the Iranian government currently puts on offer.

Iran is the second largest oil producer at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

"We have partnered with several other firms in this venture, yet we cannot disclose them," he added.

Only recently, Pertamina had teamed up with German-based company Wintershall, a subsidiary of German chemical giant BASF, in securing a exploration right on an onshore oil block in Qatar.

Pertamina holds a 25 percent interest in the block, with Wintershall controlling the remaining 75 percent, rendering the company the operator of the block.

The commercial production of the Qatari onshore oil block is not expected to start until the end of 2008 or early 2009.

Meanwhile, in response to the global oil prices, which have been breaking records in the past few weeks, Pertamina is very likely to hike the prices of industrial fuels next month.

"It's very likely (to increase)," president director, Ari H. Soemarno, said Monday, but refused to elaborate further.

Pertamina adjusts the prices of non-subsidized fuels it sells to industry on a monthly basis, taking into account the average prices of crude oil in international markets.

After breaching the US$90 per barrel last week, oil prices eases early Monday. New York's key oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, was 60 U.S. cents lower at $88.00 a barrel in afternoon trade.

In London, Brent North Sea crude for December delivery dropped 38 U.S. cents to $83.41 per barrel.

Banten refinery project left in lurch after Iran reneges on oil supplies

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina is seeking crude oil supplies from other oil producing countries to feed its refinery project in Banten.

Pertamina director of refining Suroso Atmomartoyo said here Monday evening that the decision was taken following Iran's move to cut its supply commitment to the refinery from 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day to only 100,000 barrels.

"The commitment with Iran is a fragile one, so we are looking for other sources to supply the crude. We have to ensure we get the supplies before the refinery is completed," Suroso said.

Pertamina and the Iranian government have been negotiating to build a US$550-million refinery in Bojonegara, Banten, with a total capacity of 300,000 barrels of refined products per day.

Suroso said that at the beginning Iran had agreed to supply all the crude needs of the plant. However, it later reneged on this, saying it would only be able to supply 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

He added that Pertamina was currently in talks with a number of countries to secure the crude supply. He refused to name the countries, saying the negotiations were still at the early stages.

The plan to build the refinery was announced early this year, with the company responsible for the project at that time being Elnusa, one of Pertamina's subsidiaries.

Pertamina recently decided to take over the project and told Elnusa to focus on its other businesses.

Suroso said that the company was still conducting the feasibility study on the Banten project.

Meanwhile, Pertamina upstream director Sukusen Soemarinda said that the company had won a tender for the exploration of an oil and gas block in Qatar.

He said that Pertamina, with its partner, German firm Wintershall, had been awarded the rights to the onshore block last week.

"We have a participating interest of 25 percent in the consortium, while our partner, Wintershall, which will be the operator of the block, has 75 percent," Sukusen said, adding that the two companies would sign a joint venture agreement to develop the block.

He said that the consortium would spend US$40.7 million on the exploration work over five years, with Pertamina responsible for coughing up $11 million of this.

Under Qatari law, the production split will be 85 percent to 15 percent in favor of the government.

The block is expected to begin commercial production by the end of 2008.

Iran introduces its tourist attractions

Iran is opening tourism information offices in 25 counties in a bid to introduce the country's rich cultural and tourist attractions.

Presstv, Sat, 29 Sep 2007 06:31:00

Iran has so far established five tourism information offices in Sweden, Libya, Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, said Deputy Director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, Mohammad Sharif Malek Zadeh.

Iran has also signed several Memoranda of understanding on tourism with Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Syria, the official said.

He said Iran had invited 200 foreign diplomats and their families for a one- week free tour of Iran.

Mideast investment in Indonesia meagre: ex-envoy

The Peninsula, 9/22/2007 0:17:28

Abdul Wahid Maktub

DOHA: Investment from the GCC and the rest of the Middle East in Indonesia, which is the world's most populous Muslim country, is quite low, rues a former Indonesian ambassador to Qatar.

Abdul Wahid Maktub, who left Doha early this year having served as Jakarta's envoy for a little more than three years, was here on a brief private visit.

He told this newspaper in a brief interview late last week: "There are misperceptions in the Middle East about the safety of investments back in our country. The misgivings need to be removed."

Having recovered from the financial crisis of the late 1990s, Indonesia is making rapid economic strides. The economic growth rate has been 6.5 per cent and expected to shortly climb to seven per cent.

Maktub, who is practising as a legal consultant in the Indonesian capital-Jakarta now, said that he was on a visit to the region to attract investments back home, especially in the booming real estate market. "I have been to Saudi Arabia and now I am here," he said.

One of the biggest achievements to his credit has been that Dubai's real estate giant, Emaar, has agreed to make an initial investment of $800m in a massive city project in Lombok island, which is close to Bali. "Emaar has recently set up an office in Jakarta," said Maktub.

Here, he said he met Sheikh Faisal bin Qassem Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen's Association, and urged him to pay a visit to Indonesia to explore avenues of investment. "He has accepted the invitation," said the former envoy.

"When I had met Emaar's chief, I had only requested him to visit Indonesia. When he visited Lombok, the first thing he did was pray and immediately after that he told me that he was going to develop a city on this virgin and breathtakingly beautiful island," said Maktub.

Saudi Arabia's Bin Laden Group, he said, has given sub-contract for a 60-storey building it is developing in Dubai, to an Indonesian construction company and is quite happy with its work.

A lot of western countries are investing in real estate projects in Indonesia, but a disappointing thing is that the investment inflow from the Gulf and the rest of the Middle East is nil or negligible. It is because businessmen here have misperceptions about the country. There is so much idle money here and a lot of business and investment opportunities in Indonesia.

"Ours is a huge country. It takes eight hours to fly from the easternmost point to the west. You can, thus, imagine how big the country is, and so are the possibilities of doing business and making investments," said Maktub.

"We are adopting a practical strategy. We want businessmen here to simply visit Indonesia and the rest would automatically follow."

Also with Maktub was Gunawa Witjaksono, one of the top real estate developers of Indonesia.

Indonesia`s Pusri to build US$600 mln fertilizer plant in Iran

Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - State-owned fertilizer company PT Pupuk Sriwijaya (Pusri) will build an urea fertilizer plant in Iran with a capacity of 3,500 tons a day.

PT Pusri and National Petroleum Company International (NPCI) of Iran will be fifty-fifty owners of the plant, which is estimated to cost US$600 million, an official of Iranian embassy said.

Head of the Economic Section Mahmoud R. Radboy said the project will be financed with equity and loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Engineering, procurement and construction studies are expected to be completed before the end of this year and construction will take around 18 months, with completion scheduled for 2009, Radboy said.

Iran, Indonesia to build US$5.6 bln oil refinery in Banten

Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Indonesia and Iran have agreed to build a US$5.6 billion oil refinery in Bojanegara, Banten. Construction of the plant, which will have a processing capacity of 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day, will start next year and is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

The Indonesian government will be represented by state oil and gas company PT Pertamina and the Iranian government by the Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company.

Officials from the two countries will meet in Teheran in August to discuss the project.