Pertamina owner of TAC blocks: Purnomo

State oil and gas firm Pertamina will remain owner of all Technical Assistance Contract (TAC) areas even after the firm has become a limited liability company, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro asserted on Monday.

?Pertamina owns TAC blocks so that they must be returned to the company when contracts expire,? Purnomo told reporters.

What to do with the TAC blocks will be up to Pertamina to decide, Purnomo said. ?But, the blocks will possibly be operated through joint ventures,? he added.

The minister was responding to widely held views that any oil and gas blocks will be returned to the government when contracts for them expire. The country?s oil and gas blocks are currently managed and operated under production sharing contract (PSC), joint operating body (JOB) and TAC systems.

Pertamina, which has held monopoly over the country?s upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors, will become a limited liability company in 2003. (godang)