03-07-08 Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated a massive new gas operation off Borneo by French giant Total, the company said.
The first phase of the Sisi-Nubi gas fields off East Kalimantan's Mahakam Delta went on stream in November and is scheduled to reach peak production of 350 mm cf (10 mm cm) a day by the end of the year.

Officially launching the fields, President Yudhoyono said the expansion of Indonesia's energy sector should not come at the expense of the environment.
"The first solution if we're talking about oil, gas, electricity and coal is that we have to raise production of oil and gas without harming the environment," he said. "What we have witnessed today is leading to this."

Total, which operates Sisi-Nubi with Inpex and state energy monopoly Pertamina, is the largest gas producer in Indonesia. The massive offshore project off the eastern end of Borneo has been highly anticipated as Indonesia seeks to cash in on surging prices for oil and gas.
The Sisi-Nubi fields will expand the existing Mahakam block, enabling Total to hold output at around 2.6 bn cfpd into the next decade, according to the company.