200 wells to be drilled from 2007-2009: BP Migas

Oil and gas companies operating in Indonesia are expected to drill a total of 200 wells from 2007 through 2009, BP Migas, the government?s agency that supervise oil and gas upstream sector, said on Friday.

Deputy head of BP Migas Trijana Kartoatmodjo said the oil and gas companies were expected to drill about 60 wells per year and the drilling campaign was expected to increase the country?s oil and gas reserve and enable the country to boost its oil and gas output in the future.

?Indonesia is now showing a ?net-importer? symptom. We hope to find new fields. Otherwise, it will be difficult to meet the domestic demand?s needs, much less the export market,? Trijana said in Bandung, West Java.

He said Indonesia is now producing 1.1 million barrels of oil per day, while the national consumption reach 1.3 million barrels per day.

According to Trijana, the 200 wells that are scheduled for drilling from 2007 through 2009, will potentially produce 3.8 billion barrels of oil and 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

The wells are located among others in Madura Strait, Arafuru Sea, Makassar Strait, Rawa Rawa, Ambon, northern part of West Java, Cepu, Masela, Asri Basin, South Sumatra, Jambi-Riau, Salawati and Bintuni Papua. (Godang)