KODECO GAS PIPELINE SUBMERGED PRIOR TO MAY 2010

Surabaya, Dec 18 (ANTARA) - The gas pipeline of PT Kodeco Energy Co. Ltd, in Surabaya's western shipping lane will be submerged before May 2010 as it has been posing an obstruction to economic development in the eastern parts of Indonesia.

"We are now still conducting a survey to find out the distance between the gas pipeline and the seabed," Tanjung Perak port chief administrator A. Cholik Kirom said here Friday.

He said that pending the submersion of the gas pipeline, his office has erected seven navigational buoys.

He said that as a short-term solution, the gas pipeline will be submerged to a position minus 16 Low Water Spring (LWS). To this end, a survey is still underway to find out about the exact depth between the seabed and the pipeline.

"As far as we know the current position of the pipeline is at minus 10.17 LWS," he said.