Pertamina EP to produce more crude

PT Pertamina EP, the upstream unit of state owned oil, gas firm PT Pertamina said Tuesday that its crude production currently reached 122,000 barrel per day (bpd), slightly below its 2009 target of 125,500 bpd.

?To reach the target, we will drill six more wells in Poleng TAC (located offshore East Java) and expect to get additional output of around 4,000 bpd from there. Currently Poleng TAC produces around 6,000 bpd,? Pertamina EP?s President Director Salis Aprillian told reporters.

The firm would also drill three more wells at Pondok Tengah field in Tambun, West Java to add another 2,000 bpd to the output that now reaches 13,000 bpd, he said.

Meanwhile, Ranca Jawa field in West Java is expected to produce additional oil this year as the firm had approval from oil and gas upstream regulator BPMIGAS for put on production (POP) there. "We predict the field's output will reach between 1,000 and 1,500 bpd this year," he said.

The firm has also asked for permit from BPMIGAS for a POP for Pondok Makmur field, also in Tambun, West Java. "We plan to produce between 1,000 and 1,500 bpd there," he said. (Bernard)