Govt pursues tight gas development

By Peni Pedriawan

The government continues to pursue the development of non-conventional gas. In addition to shale gas and CBM projects, which are currently being developed already, the government is now exploring the possibilities of developing tight gas.

Naryanto Wagimin, Director of Oil and Gas Upstream Development at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said that various studies have been underway, although the majority of which are still in the laboratory phase.

In addition to the Ministry, Naryanto said, state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina and state institutions such as the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) are also carrying out such study.

Unlike shale gas or coal bed methane, tight gas is formed outside the rock formations where it is found and has migrated over millions of years into extremely impermeable hard rock or sandstone or limestone formations which are unusually non-porous (known as tight sands).

Tight gas is normally produced using a combination of hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling, a technique whereby a large number of wells are drilled in different directions from one location.

Editing by Dadan Wijaksana