Pertamina, PTBA to form JV on CBM project

State coal miner PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam (PTBA) and PT Pertamina EP, a subsidiary of state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, will form a joint venture (JV) company next year to develop coal bed methane (CBM) in Tanjung Enim, South Sumatra .

 

PTBA’s president director Sukrisno said in Jakarta Wednesday that PTBA would first build a JV next year before the two companies started CBM exploration activities to comply with the regulation. “PTBA business license is developing coal, not CBM,” he said.

 

Separately, Pertamina EP’s president director Tri Siwindono said that the two companies would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) next week as part of the phases that the two companies have to go through before forming a JV.

 

Tri said that Pertamina EP wished to play a dominant role in the project and even to become an operator.

 

Currently, PTBA owns a coal mining areas with CBM potentials in Tanjung Enim, South Sumatra, Ombilin, West Sumatra and Cirenti, Riau.  Tanjung Enim’s CBM potential resources reach 2.8 trillion cubic feet. (godang)