Pertamina EP to return 18% of working areas to state

By Godang Sitompul

PT Pertamina EP, a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina, plans to return about 18 percent of its working areas back to the state as they?re either proven to be dry hole or located in cities.

Pertamina EP Director of Exploration and Development, Doddy Priambodo said the company holds a total of 138,611 square kilometers of working areas. ?Of this total (working areas), 65 percent are active, 18 percent are either in dry hole (condition) or located in cities. There?s no data yet for the remainder,? Doddy told Petromindo.com Friday.

He said that working areas located in the cities such as in those located near the National Monument (Monas) area in Central Jakarta, in Jatinegara (East Jakarta), and in Bumi Serpong Damai (Tanggerang) have to be returned to the state as exploration work can?t be undertaken in such heavily populated areas.

?We can?t possibly conduct exploration in the urban areas because the drilling works may involve the use of dynamites,? he said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak