TEMPO.CO, Musi Banyuasin - Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan opens the launching of the Sumpal gas compression project in Corridor Block, South Sumatra. The project, managed by ConocoPhillips Indonesia, begins faster than the initial target of July 2017.

"It's a huge compression project, probably one of the biggest," Jonan said at the inauguration site yesterday.

The Sumpal gas compression project will pump production at the Grissik Field from 265 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) to 310 MMSCFD. Jonan invites contractors to increase production capacity. However, he said, the activity of siphoning gas should be more efficient.

"Since we do not know the rate of gas prices, then we must lowr costs," he said.

The Sumpal Gas Compression Project Manager, I Wayan Budiarta, said that faster settlement helps lower investment costs by 25 percent from US$222.9 million to US$163.6 million.

Wayan said ConocoPhillips will also maintain gas production at Suban's compression facility, also in the Corridor Block, by 700 MMSCFD. The total production from both gas compression facilities will amount to 1,000 MMSCFD.

"The Suban Compression project will employ up to 5,000 workers," Wayan said.

ROBBY IRFANY