Page 5 - AsianOil Week 07
P. 5
AsianOil SOUTHEAST ASIA AsianOil
Pertamina plans Kepulauan Seribu exploration programme
PROJECTS & COMPANIES
INDONESIA’S state-run Pertamina has said one of its subsidiaries will begin exploring for oil and gas in the o shore Kepulauan Seribu regency, which lies to the north of Jakarta, from March.
Pertamina Hulu Energi’s (PHE) Offshore Southeast Sumatra (OSES) division aims to carry out several procedures prior to explora- tion, Antara quoted PHE spokesperson Ifki Sukarya as saying on February 13. ese will include “informing residents living nearby the exploration area”.
PHE, which has already briefed Kepulauan Seribu Regent Murad Husein, said it would reveal its plan to residents in the Kelapa Island subdistrict on February 18-19. Sukarya said: “We will inform residents so that they will know about [the work] and we will receive support so that the drilling process can run smoothly.”
Antara reported that PHE OSES was lead- ing exploration e orts in the regency this year a er an oil leak at PHE O shore North West Java’s (ONWJ) main block contaminated nine of Kepulauan Seribu’s islands last year.
A gas kick occurred at the ONWJ block’s re-activated YYA-1 well on July 12, 2019. While originally thought to have been plugged in Sep- tember, Pertamina con rmed November reports from West Java Province’s Environment O ce that oil had reappeared in the waters o Kar- awang Regency. e ONWJ block lies 2km north of Karawang.
PHE’s vice-president of relations, Ifki Sukarya, said at the time: “Owing to the extreme weather at sea, oil chunks collected from the platform and rig slipped out of the oil boom.”
Sukarya added: “Our team is still on the eld to clean up the oil spill.”
YYA-1 had not been brought on stream, but had been expected to produce 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and 20-40mn cubic feet (566,000-1.12mn cubic metres) per day of natural gas in September. The company isolated two other wells at the field that were waiting to be reactivated and said these would not be connected until after the result of an investigation.
Petros takes control of Sarawak’s gas business
POLICY
MALAYSIA’S state-owned Petronas has signed an agreement with the state of Sarawak that gives the local government control over local natural gas sales and distribution. Petronas president and CEO Wan Zulki ee Wan Ari n said on February 12 that his company had signed a gas agreement with the state government’s energy company, Petros.
He said: “Under the commercial arrange- ment, the sale and purchase of the gas distribu- tion businesses and assets in Miri and Bintulu will see the role of gas transporter and aggregator assumed by Petros under its subsidiary Petros Gas. Additionally, Petronas will provide long- term supply of natural gas for Petros’ onwards sale to their customers in Miri and Bintulu.”
Commenting on the agreement, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Awang Tengah Ali Has- san said the deal had given local authorities “full control and authority over the supply, sales and distribution of natural gas within the state”.
He said: “Petros now is the single entity to supply, sell and deliver domestic gas to homes, businesses and industries in the state.”
He added that he hoped that with Petros in control of the gas supply chain industrial inves- tors would regain con dence in the state’s supply situation. He said Sarawak had previously missed out on investment because of a gas shortfall and that the local government had been forced to “beg” Petronas to increase supply.
“Natural gas is the ‘crown jewel’ of our petro- leum resources, where Sarawak holds 54% of the total national gas reserves and 29% of the total nationaloilreserves,”hesaid.
In addition to the deal with Petros, Petronas also agreed to partner with Sarawak’s Economic Planning Unit to carry out the Sarawak Petro- chemicals Masterplan Study.
Wan Ari n said the study would look to pro- mote gas consumption and that the two sides would “explore the viability of a petrochemical hub and its related utilities infrastructure as well as human capital development.”
He added: “We hope this partnership will further increase Sarawak’s participation in the domestic integrated oil and gas value chain.”
Week 07 19•February•2020 w w w. N E W S B A S E . c o m P5
