Pertamina to complete evaluation of Natuna partner November

State oil and gas company Pertamina said it will complete evaluation of potential partner in November this year to develop Natuna D Alpha giant gas block, CEO Ari Soemarno said.

Soemarno said Pertamina?s consultant Wood Mackenzie is now working to evaluate proposal from interested companies which included Royal Dutch/Shell, ConocoPhillips, PetroChina, StatOil, Petronas , Eni SpA and previous operator Exxon Mobil Corp.

?Pertamina is looking for partner which has capability, technology and funds to develop the giant block,? he said.

The government has handed over the block to Pertamina after the contract owned by American oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil Corp. expired. The block is believed to hold 47 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, 70 percent of which however contains CO2. (godang)