Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The gas city project in Wajo regency, S Sulawesi, is scheduled for inauguration in January 2012 following the completion soon of the project's supporting infrastructure.

"The infrastructure has already been built and hopefully completed in January," Wajo Regent Andi Burhanuddin Unru said in Makassar on Thursday.

The gas city infrastructure includes gas pipelines to homes built by contractors of the central government at a cost of Rp60 billion of the State Budget.

The gas energy run by the gas city project amounted to five MMBTU, including one MMBTU to meet the power of 4,000 homes in five villages in Tempe sub-district and the remaining four MMBTU for the building of a power plant.

The gas, he said, was meant for overcoming power shortage in the area. Besides, the power energy produced by gas is relatively Rp50 thousand to Rp60 thousand per home cheaper each month.

The distribution of the gas power energy will then be run by a private company or the state power company PT PLN.

In the meantime, with regard to profit sharing for Wajo regency, the S Sulawesi provincial administration and surrounding the gas miles are still being discussed with the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulator (BP Migas).

"According to the regulations, 12 pct of the producing areas, six percent of the province and the surrounding regions six percent, but it is still being discussed," he added.

In Sengkang, Wajo regency there are nine gas wells with one of them exploitable for tens of years, while seven wells had not been explored.

In the meantime, two other wells being run by PT Energi Equity Epic Sengkang (EEES) for power production mostly to meet the electricity supplies of South Sulawesi.  (H-NG/H-YH)