Energy giant ends feasibility study of investment under two scenarios
The Dawei economic zone in Myanmar is seen by PTT as a potential location to build depots for both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), besides the facilities being developed at the Map Ta Phut industrial zone in Thailand, a senior executive of the company said recently.
PTT has completed a feasibility study of investment in Dawei under two scenarios - five years, and the longer term - said Chodechai Suwana-porn, executive vice president for energy economics and policy.
Under the five-year scenario, after all basic infrastructure in Dawei is completely in place, PTT would be ready to step in to install natural-gas pipelines from the Zawtika and Yetakun fields in Myanmar to supply gas to the power plants and manufacturing facilities in Dawei.
In the longer term, Dawei has the potential to be developed with a sea port, an LNG depot with a capacity of 5 million tonnes per year, an LPG depot, plus a natural-gas pipeline to connect Dawei and the Map Ta Phut industrial zone to ensure the Kingdom's energy security.
Chodechai said PTT had completed the establishment of a Map Ta Phut seaport and LNG depot with a storage capacity of 5 million tonnes per year.
It is now set to launch the second-phase development in Map Ta Phut for the storage of an additional 5 million tonnes of LNG, which would enable the company to serve the country's growing demand for natural gas of 2.5 per cent per annum until 2020, he said.
PTT is also looking for a new location to construct a depot to store another 5 million tonnes of LNG per year. If it cannot find such a site in Map Ta Phut, it might consider Dawei as an alternative, he added.
Dawei is also a potential location for PTT to construct an LPG depot to meet future storage needs for |the gas.
The oil and gas giant currently imports 170,000 tonnes of LPG |per month, a level that is expected |to reach 335,000 tonnes monthly |by 2020.
This would exceed the capacity of PTT's depot, which is being built and will have a capacity of 250,000 tonnes per month.
The executive said that in the initial stage of Dawei development, PTT is not interested in investing in a refinery and petrochemical complex due to the low level of demand in Myanmar.
The company will, however, reconsider the possibility of such investment as and when the situation changes.
The combined Dawei deep-sea port and industrial-estate project will require an investment of Bt350 billion, according to an estimate by the National Economic and Social Development Board.
The investment amount would encompass many other projects, including a first-phase 33-megawatt power plant and a co-generating power plant of 180MW.
