MEMR to soon hold tender for three ex-ExxonMobil blocks

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) will soon hold tender for three oil and gas exploration blocks which have been returned by ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia to the government, Kontan reported on Friday.

The paper quoted Handoyo Budi Santoso, Public Relations Head at upstream oil and gas authority SKK Migas, as saying that ExxonMobil is currently completing the final administration process for returning the blocks.

Handoyo said that once the process has been completed, the ministry would hold tender.

The three oil and gas blocks include Gunting Block in East Java, Surumana block in Central Sulawesi and Mandar block in West Sulawesi. ExxonMobil Indonesia?s Vice President for Public and Government Affairs Erwin Maryoto was quoted in May of this year as saying that the company had decided to return the blocks to the government because they?re considered to be uneconomical and have no contribution to the company. (*)