Santos gets Peluang gas field off Indonesian coast on stream

Australian energy company Santos announced Monday it started commercial gas production from its Peluang gas project off the Indonesia coast ahead of schedule. "The success of first gas ahead of schedule and on budget with Peluang represents another significant milestone in the company's delivery of a strong growth strategy in Asia," John Anderson, the vice president for Santos' operations in Asia, said in a statement. The company said Peluang, sanctioned in February 2013, is expected to have a peak production capacity of 25 million cubic feet per day, though it gave no indication of when that level would be reached. Santos said gas produced from Peluang would be used for domestic consumption in Indonesia. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says natural gas production in Indonesia increased by more than 20 percent from 2002-12. The country exports about half of its natural gas and is one of the largest exporters of liquified natural gas in the world. Santos said the discovery from Peluang adds to a solid foundation already set up in the region and demonstrates its ability to delivery new projects in a timely fashion.