Quest begins environmental assessment at Ranau block
Friday, October 31 2014 - 03:34 AM WIB
ASX-listed Quest Petroleum NL said it has executed an agreement with environmental consultant PT Widya Cipta Buan to perform an environmental baseline assessment (EBA) on the Ranau block, in South Sumatra.
The EBA is required under Indonesian law for all mining and Oil and Gas related activities, the company said in a statement Monday.
?The EBA will be conducted over the planned seismic and drilling areas identified by the company. This survey is expected to commence within 7 days and is expected to take approximately 3 months to complete,? the statement said.
It added the survey takes into account the impact that the company?s activities may have on the local waterways, farmland, wildlife and local communities.
The EBA is required under the existing Work Program and Budget with upstream oil and gas regulator SKKMigas, and forms part of further risk mitigation work to be conducted including an Environmental Management and Monitoring Assessment (UKL/UPL) which is planned to follow, Quest explained.
Elsewhere, Quest said uncertainties still remain in the oil and gas industry in Indonesia in the post-election political environment. It pointed out that media outlets report that the incoming administration is considering disbanding SKKMigas and other industry related bodies amidst corruption allegations. The proposed new department will form part of the new Energy Ministry. The planned date for this is 1st January 2015. Quest said it continues to monitor the situation.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak