"We hope the central government would be serious in realizing the development of the refinery to improve Aceh`s economy," he said here on Sunday.
He said developing a refinery at PT Arun would be cheaper than in other regions such as Bontang in East Kalimantan as the government only had to rejuvenate existing equipment for it.
Marzuki Daud who is a member of House Commission VI that oversees among other industries and investment said that the cost would also be smaller if the oil supplied to Arun is from imports.
"It is alright if the government wishes to expand the refinery in Bontang but it must also remain prioritizing the development of the refinery in Arun in view of the cost," he said.
He said the presence of the refinery would give a positive impact on the development of the region that has contributed the biggest foreign exchange to the country.
"I urged the ministry of energy and state-owned oil/gas company Pertamina to be serious in realizing the refinery at PT Arun LNG," he said.
PT Arun LNG`s manager Zulkifli Abubakar meanwhile said the company has various international standard facilities and therefore it is fit for the development of a refinery.
He said PT Arun LNG has a vast area, a pier where a huge tanker could berth and also four unused tanks.
He said the distribution cost for the refinery would be much cheaper compared to that in other regions.
He also expressed optimism that the refinery would give a positive impact on the people in the industrial zone as well as in Aceh in general.
(Uu.H-YH/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
