Indonesia expects LNG cooperation with Thailand

BANGKOK, Nov 3 (TNA) -- Indonesia and Thailand are poised to discuss cooperation on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Saleh Abdurrahaman, secretary-general of the National Energy Council of Indonesia, said after meeting Thai Energy Minister Anantaporn Kanjanarat during the 7th ASIAN Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER) that Thailand and Indonesia wanted to expand their energy cooperation and jointly solve problems. One topic of their bilateral talk addressed the expansion of energy cooperation from coal to LNG and relevant officials would later discuss details, Mr Saleh said. A source said that Mr Saleh and Gen Anantaporn also discussed the Montara oil spill incident in Australia. The Indonesian government demanded compensation from PTT, PTT Exploration and Production Plc and PTTEP Australasia Co. The Indonesian government claimed that the oil spill affected the environment in the Timor Sea. PTTEP dismissed the claim and the Thai Energy Ministry is pushing for negotiations on the issue. Regarding the 7th AMER, the secretary-general of the National Energy Council of Indonesia said the meeting let participants see mutual goals clearer and ASEAN should benefit from the meeting because it was trying to promote energy security and renewable energy. Indonesia proposed in the meeting developing nations should receive more financial and technological support for their energy reform. (TNA)