Pabuk storm not to seriously affect energy supply in Thailand

BANGKOK, January 3 (TNA) - The Ministry of Energy, in cooperation with all other relevant parties, has worked out a contingent management plan to cope with impacts from the tropical storm Pabuk in the Gulf of Thailand so that the powerful storm should not seriously affect the energy supply in the country. The Thai Ministry of Energy reported on the move in its statement released on January 2, saying that the ministry has closely monitored developments and will keep reporting the updated situation to the public. Under the contingent management plan, PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), Thailand's largest petroleum firm, is supplying more liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the domestic energy sector in substitution of its cut in the production of natural gas from its sources in the Gulf of Thailand due to the impacts from the tropical storm Pabuk, while the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has reserved more diesel and bunker oil for its power production in substitution of the reduced supply of natural gas and may import more hydroelectric power from neighboring countries, if necessary. Besides, for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or the cooking gas, which may be affected by the reduced natural gas amount from the Gulf of Thailand temporarily, the Ministry of Energy's Department of Energy Business and PTT are working together to ensure its sufficient supply to meet the market demand. According to the ministry's Wednesday report, the production of natural gas and crude oil in the Gulf of Thailand has been temporarily cut by at least 600 million cubic feet a day and 27,000 barrels a day respectively, from the normal production of about 2,400 million cubic feet a day and 100,000 barrels a day, and the ministry is closely monitoring updates and working together with all eight energy firms operating in the Gulf of Thailand to protect public and national interests, covering the urgent withdrawal of offshore petroleum personnel to safe places in Songkhla Province in the Thai South and in Chon Buri Province in the Thai East recently. Meanwhile, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), a subsidiary of PTT, issued a statement, announcing that the production of natural gas from its Bongkot North and Bongkot South blocks has been temporarily suspended and it has already moved all workers from the affected blocks to mainland Songkhla for the sake of their safety as the powerful tropical storm Pabuk is approaching the offshore areas and many coastal provinces in the Thai South. (TNA)