PHE ONWJ studying risks that may be caused by Patimban port

By Febry Silaban

PHE ONWJ, a subsidiary of state owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina (Persero), which operates the Offshore Northwest Java (ONWJ) block, is studying the potential risks that may be caused by the planned Patimban port to its operation.

On May 25, 2016, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) decided to choose Patimban in Subang, Banten province as the location of a new port, which was initially planned to be built in Cilamaya, Karawang, West Java province.

The development of the port is scheduled to start in 2017.

?Two years ago, the government planned to build a port in Cilamaya, which is located in the center of the heart of ONWJ block. Now, the project has been relocated to Subang. We are still studying the risks (that may be caused by the project). The location is not an ideal one since the area is part of ONWJ block. Our platforms there are not as many as those in the previous location. Still, the risks still exist,? PHE ONWJ Communication and Relation Manager Donna Priadi told reporters in Bandung, West Java

The government and stakeholders are still studying whether vessels that will go to and leave the port will not cause threat to activities at ONWJ, what if the production facilities be moved elsewhere, how costly the relocation of the production facilities is, etc, Donna said.

?Patimban is still inside of the ONWJ block, situated in the eastern part of the block. We have facilities there, but it is not as crowded as Cilamaya,? Donna said.

The government under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono planned to build the port in Cilamaya as an alternative to Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta, which has been heavily congested. The plan however drew strong protests from state owned oil and gas firm PT Pertmaina (Persero), due to its close proximity to many ONWJ?s production facilities. The Jokowi administration quickly dropped the plan and moved the port project to Patimban.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon