Pertamina ready to take over expiring blocks

By Godang Sitompul

State owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina said it is ready to take over oil and gas blocks now operated by other companies once their contracts expire.

?Pertamina is capable of operating the blocks,? Salis Aprilian, President Director of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), an upstream arm of Pertamina, said in a seminar held at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Chandra Tirta Wiajaya, a legislator of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said during the seminar that there are 29 blocks whose contracts expire from 2013 through 2021.

The State holds the right to take control of the blocks rather than extend the contracts, he said.

Blocks whose contracts expire from 2013 through 2021

Block	Operator	Expire Year
Siak	PT Chevron, Pacific Indonesia CPI	2013
Gebang	Pertamina-Costa	2015
Mahakam ONWJ Attaka Lematang	Total E & P Indonesie PHE ONWJ Inpex Medco	2017
Tuban Ogan Komering North Sumatra Offshore B Southeast Sumatra Tengah NSO Extention Sanga-sanga West Pasir and Ataka	Pertamina-Petrochina Pertamina-Talisman Exxon Mobil CNOOC Total Exxon Mobil Vico Indonesia CPI	2018
Bula Seram Non Bula Pendopo and Raja Jambi Merang	Kalrez Petroleum Ctic Pertamina-Golden Spike Job Pertamina-HESS	2019
South Jambi B Malaca Strait Brantas Salawati Kepala Burung Blok A Sengkang Makasar Strait Offshore Area A	Conoco Philips Kondur Petroleum Lapindo Pertamina-Petro China Petrochina Energy Equity Chevron Indonesia Company	2020
Rokan Bentu Segat Muriah Selat Panjang	CPI) Kalila Petronas Petroselat	2021
Source: House of Representative

Editing by Johanes Simbolon