POD for Cepu block awaits Minister's approval

BP Migas, the oil and gas upstream authority industry, has approved the plan of development (POD) for the Cepu oil block proposed by Pertamina EP Cepu and Mobil Cepu Ltd but it still needs an endorsement from the minister of energy and mineral resources for implementation.

"We have, in principle, approved the POD proposal. We are now in the process of submitting it to the minister of energy and mineral resources for a final endorsement," the head of BP Migas Kardaya Warnika told Petromindo on Monday.

Kardaya hoped that the minister would soon issue the final approval of the POD proposal so that the Cepu operator could begin exploration activities in accordance to the existing schedules.

"We hope the Cepu block will be able to begin production in the end of 2008 as initially planned," he said. (godang)