Niko confirmed to take over Bone Bay operatorship
Thursday, June 28 2012 - 01:09 AM WIB
Upstream authority BPMIGAS Planning Deputy Haposan Napitupulu said that Niko Resources of Canada was confirmed to take over Bone Bay Block owned by Marathon Energy in Makassar Strait, Sulawesi.
"The operator of Bone Bay will now be Niko. Previously, it was Marathon Energy. Niko will be conducting drilling there,? Haposan told Petromindo.com in Jakarta on Thursday.
He said that Bone Bay was part of the basin that has never been drilled before. ?It has to be drilled to determine whether it contains hydrocarbon or not, and Niko will do the drilling,? he said.
According to him, Niko has 23 blocks, which are all being drilled. ?Niko will continue drilling. It?s aggressive. But so far it hasn?t yet stricken oil or gas,? he noted.
Marathon was reportedly to give up the Bone Bay Block's operatorship and would only retain non-operating interest. Before the acqusition, the company holds 55 percent operating interest in the block with the balance held by Niko Resources.
A reliable source told Petromindo.com recently that there had been a series of serious discussions between Niko Resources and Marathon on aquisition of Bone Bay and Kumawa Blocks owned by Marathon Energi in Makassar Strait.
Previously, it was reported in January that US oil and gas firm Marathon Oil Corp. had planned to farm out 30 percent of its participating interest in Kumawa block located in Southeast Maluku waters. The plan had drawn interests from a number of oil and gas companies.
Eddy Hermantoro, upstream director at the oil and gas directorate general of the ministry of energy and mineral resources, said that the potential buyers had requested the government to formally open the data room of Kumawa block, He refused to mention the names of the potential buyers, but reliable sources said that the four companies were ConocoPhillips, Talisman, Husky, and Hess.
Editing by Benget Besalicto Tnb.