Aquarius LNG Tanker Leaks During Operation, PGN Ensures Safe Gas Supply

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker Aquarius experienced a steam pipe leak incident on Saturday, April 17. Regarding the incident, PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk (PGN) as subholding gas said it would continue to coordinate with PT Nusantara Regas (NR).

PGN Corporate Secretary Rachmat Hutama said, PGN together with NR ensure that gas distribution to the electricity sector remains safe. He said that the effort was carried out by optimally regulating the operation pattern of all infrastructure, both pipeline and non-pipeline for the incident that occurred.

"PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk as Subholding Gas provides full support to PT Nusantara Regas in maintaining natural gas supply from the West Java FSRU (floating storage regasification unit) to the Muara Karang Power Plant and Tanjung Priok IP to remain safe in accordance with the natural gas sale and purchase contract there is, "quoted from Kontan, Monday, April 19.

For your information, this ship is known to belong to PT Hanochem Shipping which was chartered by PT Nusantara Regas starting in 2012. The Aquarius ship is an Indonesian-flagged LNG ship and was started by 100 percent crew from Indonesia.

Meanwhile, this LNG Carrier transports LNG to FSRU Nusantara Regas Satu. The carrying capacity is 125,000 m3.

PT Nusantara Regas also has an affiliation with PGN. Based on PGN's annual financial report for 2020, as much as 40 percent of NR shares are owned by PGN.

For information, the LNG tanker Aquarius belongs to a suspect in the alleged corruption case of PT Asabri's financial management and investment funds, Heru Hidayat, suffered a stream pipe leak on Saturday, April 17, 2021.

The Aquarius LNG incident was discovered when it was operating even though it was in the status of confiscation of the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Indonesia in a case of alleged corruption in financial management and investment funds of PT Asabri.

Last March, a team of investigating prosecutors at the Directorate of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes at the Attorney General's Office carried out an act of confiscation of evidence in a corruption case involving financial management and investment funds at PT Asabri on behalf of suspect Heru Hidayat.