Domestic oil and gas companies to be prioritized

Domestic oil and gas companies will be given priority by the government in taking over the management of oil and gas fields whose contracts will soon expire, Kontan reported on Wednesday.

Until 2020, there are at least 26 oil and gas blocks whose contracts will expire.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Widjajono Partowidagdo said that in the revision of Oil and Gas Law No 22/2001, the government has proposed that the operatorship of oil and gas blocks whose contract has expired to be given to state oil and gas firm Pertamina.

If Pertamina is not interested, then it should be given to other domestic oil and gas firms.

Widjajono is confident that domestic oil and gas companies have the ability to manage the oil and gas blocks. (*)