Harvest continues exploration work in Budong-Budong block

By Romel S. Gurky

US firm Harvest Natural Resources Inc said it was continuing exploration program in the Budong-Budong block onshore West Sulawesi in a bid to find oil.

?Work (is progressing) on an exploration program targeting the Pliocene and Miocene targets encountered in the previous two wells,? the company said in a statement obtained Friday.

?Land access and acquisition; environmental studies; construction and upgrades to access roads, bridges and well site; permitting; and tender prequalification and procurement are on-going,? added Harvest.

Harvest is the operator of the Budong-Budong blok with a 71.5 percent interest, after assuming it from previous operator Tately Budong-Budong NV late last year.

The company earlier this year obtained an approval from the upstream oil and gas authority SKK Migas for an extension of the initial 6-year production sharing contract (PSC) of the Budong-Budong block for another four years.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak