BP Indonesia to shut gas field for maintenance

JAKARTA, July 4 (Reuters) - BP Indonesia, a unit of oil major BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research), will shut for maintenance its offshore West Java gas field for two weeks from July 11, temporarily halting gas supplies to two power plants operated by the state power firm in Jakarta, a power official said on Friday.

Indonesian power firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will use fuel oil at its 1,000-megawatt (MW) Tanjung Priok power station and 750-MW Muara Karang plant, near Jakarta, instead of gas.

"PLN plans to cut by 150 megawatts electricity supply to Jakarta during the gas supply stoppage from BP," said the official, who declined to be identified.

"There will be no big impact," added the official, who said there could be rotating black outs in some areas.

BP normally supplies a total of 135 billion British thermal unit per day of natural gas to both power plants.

An official at state oil and gas company Pertamina said the firm had enough fuel oil to supply PLN power plants in Jakarta and there was no plan for extra imports.

"If Pertamina needs more fuel oil then the firm will import more. But so far we have no such plan," the official said.

PLN, the monopoly power supplier for Indonesia, has 24,000 MW of generating capacity but daily output is well below capacity due to old and inefficient plants.

Indonesia is trying to tap alternative sources of energy to meet rising power demand and cut consumption of expensive crude oil as its own reserves dwindle.

(Reporting by Muklis Ali; Editing by Ed Davies)