JAKARTA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Indonesia's 2013 gas productionhas risen 2.2 percent to 8,100 million standard cubic feet perday (mmscfd) on average, from 7,920 mmscfd last year, boosted byan output hike by the country's top producer, France's Total SA, state oil and gas regulator SKKMigas said.
Indonesia wants to tap its abundant gas supply and move awayfrom oil as it grapples with record subsidy bills and a tradedeficit caused by costly fuel imports.
Gas production in Indonesia, the world's third biggestexporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), declined last yearfollowing changes to shipments from BP's Tangguh projectin Papua and a lack of domestic facilities to absorb output, Zudaldi Rafdi, spokesman of SKKMigas, told Reuters on Wednesday.
This year's daily average had increased because of timelyproduction by all producers, Zudaldi said, "and in the third andforth quarters Total's gas production increased".
Southeast Asia's largest economy had an earlier productiontarget of 7,600 mmscfd this year.
Several domestic gas facilities came onstream this year,spurring gas consumption and production at home, Zudaldi said.
These facilities include state electricity utilityPerusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) 's West Java FloatingStorage Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Jakarta Bay and the Arunfacility in Aceh, which both began receiving liquefied naturalgas (LNG). Indonesia's exports of LNG exports will fall by 33cargoes this year.
The output figures include piped gas, liquefied natural gas(LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Despite the closure of five wells due to a gas leak, Total'soutput from its Mahakam Block, Indonesia's main gas producingregion, was at 1,740 mmscfd this week, well above a target of1,577 mmscfd.