Indonesia expects gas demand to more than double over next 5 yrs

JAKARTA, March 4 (Reuters) - Indonesia will need an additional 3,100 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas supplies within five years, to meet forecast demand from power stations and fertilizer plants, an energy ministry official said on Wednesday.

Indonesia plans to build 13,400 MW of gas-fired power stations by 2020, which will require 1,100 mmscfd of gas, Wiratmadja Puja, acting director general of oil and gas, told reporters, adding that power generation now requires around 1,250 mmscfd.

Southeast Asia's largest economy will also need 2,000 mmscfd to feed fertilizer plants, Puja said, up from around 900 mmscfd now.

Indonesia is also in the process of forming a "gas aggregator" institution to manage domestic gas demand and supply and to manage consumer gas prices, Puja added, but gave no further details. (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)