Pertamina?s production surges in Jan-Sept period

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina reported a significant increase in oil and gas production during the first nine months of this year thanks to higher production rate in the company?s new fields.

The company said that crude oil production rose to 186,400 barrels per day (BPD) during the January-September period from 150,200 BPD in the same period of last year, while gas production also surged to 1,406 million standard cubic per day (MMSCFD) from 1,266 MMSCFD during the same period of 2008.

Pertamina attributed the increase in oil and gas production to higher production rate in newly opened fields such as SK.305 field in Malaysia, and Tambun, Pondok Tengah and Pondok Makmur operated by its subsidiaries PT Pertamina EP and PT Pertamina Hulu Energi.

The company said that the rise in the oil and gas production during the first nine months of this year was quite encouraging, given the fact that most of other oil and gas contractors including foreign companies in the country had reported lower production during the same period. (godang)