"I think the problem is that the House has not yet received clear information. We will explain it to them. We acknowledge that the House of Representatives (DPR) has the right to make a decision, but they did not have comprehensive information before making the comments," Pertamina Director Ahmad Bambang stated on the sidelines of Pertamina Energy Outlook 2015 held here on Wednesday.
Ahmad, the newly appointed director of the state-owned firm, said that several conditions contained in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sonangol had not yet been met.
Therefore, there is still uncertainty on the part of Sonangol to keep its promise of providing a discount of US$15 a barrel.
However, he expressed optimism with regard to the cooperation with Sonangol based on the plan where the Indonesian government will be able to import crude oil at 25 percent less price.
"It does not mean that the MoU with Sonangol is of no use. If the joint venture is realized, we can get a high discount," Ahmad added.
He said that if the DPR did reject the transaction with Sonangol, Pertamina will look for other producers in an effort to operate oil refineries in the country, which could also ensure supply of crude oil at home.
Earlier, the government, through Pertamina, established a cooperation agreement on oil purchase with the Angolan oil company Sonangol EP.
Sonangol plans to supply some 100 thousand barrels of crude oil per day to be refined by Pertamina in Indonesia. The purchase of crude oil from Angola is expected to save some US$2.5 million per day or about Rp15 trillion a year. The African state offers a price US$14 cheaper as compared to the world prices.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
