1,000 MW new geothermal resources discovered
Monday, February 16 2009 - 08:34 AM WIB
Sugiharto Harsoprayitno, the ministry?s geothermal director, said on Monday that PT Supreme Energy had discovered 194 MW measured geothermal resources in Muara Laboh working area in South Solok, West Sumatra; 225 MW speculative resources in Pematang Belirang working area in South Lampung; 40 MW hypothetical resources in Kalianda working area in South Lampung; and 225 MW speculative resources in Rantau Dadap working area in Muara Enim, South Sumatra.
Meanwhile, PT Spring Energy discovered 100 MW measured resources in Guci working area in Tegal, Central Java and PT Three Energy found 185 MW in Baturaden working area in Brebes, Central Java.
The three companies carried out the surveys at the government?s request.
?The results are good. Muara Laboh, for instance, is above 200 MW, Batu Raden above 200 MW. Only Guci is small, less than 60 MW,? Sugiharto said.
?Companies that carried out the survey will be given the first right to develop the working areas, but still through tender mechanism,? he said.
He said his office would report the survey results to the minister. After that, the working areas will be clearly delineated before being submitted to the regional governments which will auction off the working areas.
?If the regional governments are not capable of carrying out the tender, the central government will help auction off the working areas,? he said, adding that the delineation of the working areas are expected to be completed this month and the tender will be announced next month.
Sugiharto expected the fields to come on stream between 2013-2014.
The geothermal fields are part of the projects offered in the government?s Phase Two 10,000 MW fast track program.
Sugiharto added that the Nangroe Aceh Darussalam wanted to develop their own geothermal resources on their own, an idea which the central government has not rejected. (Bernard)