Star Energy claims to find world's largest geothermal well

National energy firm Star Energy announced Wednesday that it had found the world's largest geothermal steam well at its Wayang Windu concession in West Java.

The firm said in a statement that the MBD-5 well, the first development well in the Unit 2 of the Wayang Windu complex to be drilled by the company, had been tested to be "the largest dry steam well in the world at more than 40 MW". The well was drilled last month.

The company said in the discovery would set pace for the expansion of the Wayang Windu goethermal power plant to 400 MW to support the Java-Bali grid system owned by state electricity firm PT PLN.

The firm, through its 100 percent-owned subsidiary Magma Nusantara Limited (MNL), is developing the Unit 2 of Wayang Windu geothermal power plant, which started operation in early 2000. This second unit, which is expected to be commissioned in 2008, will add another 110 MW to the power plant's existing capacity of 110 MW.

The firm plans to further expand the capacity to 400 MW by 2010.

Star Energy said it was committed to developing Wayang Windu to be the largest in Indonesia and one of the largest in the world.

According to the firm, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro has signed the amendments to the Joint Operation Contract that it has signed with state oil and gas company Pertamina, and the Energy Sales Contract it has signed with Pertamina and PLN. (godang)