Directorate general forms oil, gas exploration advisory team

By Godang Sitompul

The directorate general of oil and gas at the ministry of energy and mineral resources has formed an advisory team tasked with giving advice to the directorate general on how to promote oil and gas explorations in Indonesia.

The so-called Oil, Gas Exploration Advisory Team was formed in February this year, said Pudjo Suwarno, Head of Project Management Office of Oil and Gas Infrastructures at the directorate general, who is also team leader.

Aside from Pudjo, the 6-strong team?s members are Syamsu Alam, Upstream Director of PT Pertamina (Persero), Karsani Aulia, former executive of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, Candra Surya of Medco EP, Sugeng, former executive of Mobil Oil, and Sampe Purba, a senior staff at SKK Migas.

?The team was formed at the behest of the director general and minister in order to promote oil and gas explorations in Indonesia,? Pudjo told Petromindo.com on the sidelines of Indonesia Gas Summit at Shangri-La hotel.

In their first advice, the team has proposed to the director general that Pertamina be directly appointed as the executor of oil and gas exploration joint study.

?If there are companies interested in joint study in search of oil and gas blocks, we proposed that Pertamina become the leader. Once the study has been completed, let the companies to decide whether to team up in the block,? Pudjo said.

Pertamina will thus lead the joint study and data from the joint study should be submitted to the government. If Pertamina is interested in the blocks, it should participate in the tender.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon