To Boost Oil and Gas Reserves, BP Adds Investment of US $ 4 Billion

 

    The Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) stated that BP Indonesia will increase its investment by the US $ 4 billion. One of these funds will be used to increase the oil and gas reserves of the Tangguh Liquefied Natural Gas / LNG) project.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    Head of SKK Migas Dwi Soetjipto said BP conveyed this additional investment plan when meeting SKK Migas management last week. BP plans to develop the Ubadari Field in the Tangguh LNG Project and work on the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Project.

BP

"We are happy because it means that the efforts made by SKK Migas and the government to increase investment have yielded results," he said.

    He explained that the Ubadari Field development was intended to increase the proven reserves of the Tangguh LNG Project. Gas production from this field will then be used to support the operations of the Tangguh Train 1, 2, and 3 LNG Train. If this additional gas production is realized, BP can expand its LNG market.

"The Ubadari field was discovered in 1997, and exploration drilling began in 2017," said Dwi.

    According to him, BP will also work on the CCUS project at Tangguh. CCUS is a technology that can capture carbon dioxide (CO2) which is released into the atmosphere so that it can reduce carbon emissions. The implementation of CCUS in the Tangguh Project will support Indonesia's efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 29% to 41% by 2030 under the Paris Agreement. Implementing CCUS will cut carbon emissions by around 45%.

the Tangguh Project Papua

"Apart from making a major contribution to the government's commitment to protecting the environment, [CCUS Project] will also increase production. Another advantage, this activity will also keep the Tangguh LNG Plant competitive, especially in dealing with buyer countries that are sensitive to environmental issues, "Dwi explained.

    To realize the investment plan, BP will immediately discuss with his party the technical and economic issues of the project. This discussion is expected to immediately agree on the preparation of the second Plan of Development / POD which will be used as the basis for the Ubadari Fieldwork.

    Dwi hopes that BP's steps to increase this investment will soon be followed by other contractors. Moreover, entering March 2021, world oil prices will improve at the level of US $ 60-70 per barrel. The increase in global oil prices was faster than analysts had predicted.

"The world oil price situation is recovering faster and in March 2021 it has even exceeded the average world oil price in 2019, it is hoped that this will encourage KKKS (cooperation contract contractors) to increase exploration activities outside of the agreed program in the work plan and budget ( work, program, and budget / WP & B) 2021, "said Dwi.

    Currently, BP is also working on Train-3 at the Tangguh LNG Plant, worth US $ 8.9 billion. Referring to SKK Migas data, up to the third quarter of last year, work on the project's onshore facilities had reached 88.27% and offshore facilities 98.27%. 

    The Tangguh Train-3 project is targeted to start operating in the last quarter of this year with an estimated peak gas production of 700 million standard cubic feet per day / MMscfd and 3 thousand barrels of oil per day (BPD). The completion of Train-3 will increase the capacity of the Tangguh LNG Plant to 11.4 million tons per year.

    Last year, BP managed to record gas production of 1,074 MMscfd and is targeted to increase to 1,200 MMscfd this year. BP holds a 37.16% stake in the Tangguh Project. Other Tangguh contract partners are MI Berau B.V. (16.30%), CNOOC Muturi Ltd. (13.90%), Nippon Oil Exploration (Berau), Ltd. (12.23%), KG Berau / KG Wiriagar (10.00%), Indonesia Natural Gas Resources Muturi Inc. (7.35%), and Talisman Wiriagar Overseas Ltd. (3.06%).

Investor Daily, Page-10, Monday,  March 22, 2021