Natural gas production may increase 11.7% in 2008

Oil and gas upstream regulatory agency BPMIGAS has estimated that the national natural gas production will increase by 11.7 percent in 2008 to about 1.78 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) from about 1.59 million boepd this year.

 

The agency's chairman Kardaya Warnika said that the significant increase in the natural gas production would be possible due to the rise in the gas production at several gas fields such as the Mahakam Block’s Sisi and Nubi fields.

 

He said that the gas production at the Sisi and Nubi fields which is operated by Total E&P Indonesie had reached its peak production at 300 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD). Kardaya also expected a significant increase in the gas production in 2009 in line with the commercial production of the BP-operated Tangguh LNG project in West Papua during the year.

 

With the rise in the gas production, BPMIGAS is confident that the oil and gas production would be able to reach the target of about 3.24 million boepd in 2009.

 

Earlier, BPMIGAS reported that 's oil and condensate production totaled about 995,363 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) as of August this year or about 95 percent of the government's 2007 target of 1 million boepd.

 

Next year, the oil production is expected to increase to 1.08 million bpd thanks to the operation of several oil fields. (*)