61 Oil and Gas Producing Regions Still Disappointed

 

    A total of 61 local governments still have to be disappointed because regulations are not strong enough to involve oil and gas producing regions in obtaining a 10% participating interest.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    Head of the Legal Division of the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) Didik Setyadi said that until November 2021 there were still 61 regions that were carrying out the 10% Participating Interest (PI) bidding process.

    According to Didik, one challenge that makes it difficult for regions to get a 10 percent PI is caused by regulations that do not explicitly regulate sanctions for contractors who do not meet the provisions of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation number 37 of 2016.

"This needs attention because the nature of the business to include a 10 percent PI is good faith is cooperation, so cooperation cannot be forced on each other but must be an agreement based on both parties," he said in the Northern Sumatra Forum webinar, Thursday ( 25/11/2021).

    Didik added that the difficulty of investing in regional shares of 10 percent was also caused by the reluctance of contractors who thought it would affect the economy.

    The reason is that the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation number 37 of 2016 is interpreted by oil and gas contractors to provide 10 percent PI shares with a maximum value so that it will have an impact on the project's economy.

    The Coordinator of the Upstream Oil and Gas Business Development Assessment of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Yulianto, said the government would immediately revise the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation number 37 of 2016 to make it easier for regions to get a 10 percent PI.

    The plan to revise the regulation is necessary considering that since the enactment of the Ministerial Regulation, only two regions have received a 10 percent PI, namely West Java and East Kalimantan.

"We at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources have then tried, in this case, trying to improve the Ministerial Regulation in order to improve the process of bidding and transferring PI more so that it is faster and more transparent, then it can really be accepted by fellow contractors and in producing areas," he explained.

    Meanwhile, the government will revise the definition of PI with a maximum percentage of 10 percent and regulate the distribution of shares of 10 percent for districts/cities and provinces. Improvements will also be made to the obligations of Regional Owned Enterprises (BUMD) in terms of the value of the transfer, the appointment of an independent institution.

    In addition, the government will regulate the timing of the 10 percent PI offer, the effective date for the 10 percent PI, and sanctions for Cooperation Contract Contractors (KKKS) who do not offer a 10 percent PI.

the Rokan Block

    Meanwhile, Riau Governor Syamsuar said the process to get a 10% PI in the Rokan Block had gone through 9 of the 10 stages specified in the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 37/2016.

    He said that his party had reached an agreement between the five regents who were included as oil and gas producing regions from the Rokan Block and had appointed Regional Owned Enterprises (BUMD) to be included in the 10% PI.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil

MINIMUM INVOLVEMENT

    Meanwhile, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil explained that there are still many areas that have not been involved in managing oil and gas working areas. This is because there are still contractors who find it difficult to cooperate with regional companies.

    Ridwan Kamil, who also serves as Chairman of the Association of Regional Oil and Gas Producers and Renewable Energy (ADPMET) said that getting PI is not as easy as it is in the applicable legislation. According to him, special lobbying is needed by the regions together with contractors.

“Everywhere, it is difficult for people to share profits, so that's the nature. That is why the success of West Java Province and East Kalimantan Province because of incentive lobbying, should not be as complicated and not as tiring,” he said.

    Ridwan Kamil added that another obstacle that is often found in oil and gas producing areas to get a 10% PI is the non-transparent lifting data from contractors. For this reason, cooperation with the central government is needed so that the regulations provided can be easier and provide transparency of the potential generated from an oil and gas working area.

"Therefore, we offer our organization to provide lobbying for the central government to make it easier," he said.

    According to him, as an area that has managed to get a 10% PI, West Java has felt the direct benefits generated both in terms of income and the multiplier effect.

PHE-ONWJ

    Ridwan Kamil explained that West Java had succeeded in obtaining business income through the regionally owned company (BUMD) PT Migas Hulu Jabar which managed the 10% PI in the ONWJ Block worth Rp 232 billion during 2017-2018.

PHE-ONWJ Block in West Java

    President Director of PT Migas Hulu Jabar Begin Troys said that in 2019, his party began to enter the electricity business, integrated energy management, gas infrastructure, and construction services in the oil and gas sector.

    As a result, in 2019 West Java's Upstream Oil and Gas earned revenue of Rp 172 billion with income from non-PI 10% increasing to 16%. In 2020, West Java's upstream oil and gas will enter the Pertamina Group's DRUPS business, manufacturing oil and gas block rigs, and the Cirompang micro-hydropower plant.

Bisnis Indonesia, Page-4, Friday, Nov 26, 2021

Termination Block Managers Can Propose Changes in the Form of Oil and Gas Contracts

    Oil and gas companies that hold the management of terminated oil and gas blocks are allowed to propose changes in the form of production sharing contracts (PSC) from gross profit sharing (gross split) to cost recovery or vice versa.

ESDM

    This refers to the Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR/ESDM) Number 23 of 2021 concerning the management of oil and gas blocks whose cooperation contracts will expire. With the enactment of this regulation, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 23/2018 and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 3/2019 are revoked and declared invalid.

    In Article 34 of Ministerial Regulation number 23 of 2021, it is stated that contractors and PT Pertamina (Persero) can apply for proposals for the basic forms and provisions of PSC from gross split to cost recovery or from cost recovery to gross split. This application can be made after the contractor and Pertamina have completed a five-year definite work commitment (KKP).

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    The application is submitted to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources through the Special Task Force for Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas). Furthermore, if there is a change in the form and basic provisions of the PSC, the costs incurred for the implementation of the KKP cannot be submitted as a refund of operating costs.

    The opportunity to change the PSC scheme is considered positive by various parties, including PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) as the Upstream Subholding of PT Pertamina (Persero). Pertamina Hulu Energi Corporate Secretary Whisnu Bahriansyah said the option to choose the gross split or cost recovery oil and gas contract was previously only given for new oil and gas block contracts. This provision is through the Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources number 12 of 2020.

    But now, the same option is also owned by the terminated oil and gas block manager who has signed a contract. "Article 34 answers the industry's encouragement for the flexibility of the existing cooperation contract scheme options," he said.

    Secretary-General of the Indonesian Association of Petroleum Engineers (IATMI) Hadi Ismoyo agrees that this flexibility in choosing the form of PSC has a positive impact on the national oil and gas investment climate. 

    The reason is, so far not all investors are compatible with the gross split PSC. He said that the implementation of the gross split contract had an impact on the cash flow of oil and gas companies. This is because cost recovery PSCs are guaranteed a faster return on investment than gross split PSCs.

"So that investors are more comfortable, and because investors feel comfortable, it can also be returned in the form of exploration activities in the area, so that in the long term there is hope for sustainable production," he said.

    The Executive Director of the Reforminer Institute, Komaidi Notonegoro, also said the same thing. The no longer mandated gross split scheme oil and gas contracts for terminated oil and gas blocks is a positive step. His party from the beginning has also suggested that KKKS be given the freedom to have the most suitable oil and gas contracts for the oil and gas blocks they manage.

"Because there are types [of oil and gas blocks] that are suitable for cost recovery and some are suitable for gross split, so they cannot be mandated for certain types," he explained.

    Regarding the implementation of the Ministerial Regulation, the Head of the Program and Communication Division of SKK Migas Susana Kurniasih said, the PSC that first regulated the KKP matter was for the Jambi Merang Block which became effective in 2019. With the implementation period of the KKP for five years, it will be completed in 2024.

“SKK Migas through functions that have main tasks, functions, and competencies will monitor the implementation of the KKP by KKKS. In the event that after the completion of the KKP, the contractor intends to apply for a change in terms and conditions, then the policy to decide on the application is entire with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources,” She said.

    She added that SKK Migas had submitted a recommendation on an application from the Brantas Block contractor who submitted a contract change from gross split to cost recovery before the enactment of ESDM Ministerial Regulation number 23 of 2021.

"However, the application in question was not approved by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources," said Susana.

    Previously, termination of oil and gas blocks was mandated using a gross split contract. To date, referring to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, there are 23 terminated oil and gas blocks that use gross split contracts, namely the Offshore North West Java (ONWJ), North Sumatra Offshore, Ogan Kome ring, South East Sumatra, Tuban, Sanga-Sanga, East Kalimantan. and Attaka, Jambi Merang, Raja/Pendopo, Bula, Seram-Non Bula, Malacca Straits, Brantas, Salawati, Bird's Head, Rokan, Tarakan, Coastal Plains and Pekanbaru (CPP), Tungkal, Sengkang, Rimau, Corridor, and Pangkah.

Investor Daily, Page-10, Monday, Aug 23, 2021

Upstream Oil and Gas Getting More Difficult

    The upstream oil and gas industry needs time to recover because contractors are still looking at the extent of the impact of the pandemic, which is currently booming.

    The Covid-19 pandemic, which was accompanied by a surge in new cases, forced the government to tighten people's mobility, making it more difficult for the upstream oil and gas industry to revive this year.

    This was acknowledged by the Head of the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) Dwi Soetjipto who stated that the Covid-19 pandemic had put pressure on the upstream oil and gas industry. The implementation of a number of upstream oil and gas activities was finally hampered.

"Some upstream oil and gas activities have been delayed for 1 to 5 weeks," said Dwi.

    A number of disrupted activities include 234 kilometers (km) of 2D seismic surveys, 165 km² of 3D seismic, six exploration wells, 12 development wells, and three development projects.

    In an effort to support the increase in oil and gas production, until June 2021, 186 development wells have been drilled, 309 workover activities, and 11,307 well service activities have been carried out. The realization is still far below the target set.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    In 2021, SKK Migas targets drilling 616 development wells. This number increased from the realization in 2020 which was only 240 wells.

    For workover activities, SKK Migas targets 615 wells, while well service activities are targeted at 26,431 activities.

    Meanwhile, during the first semester of 2021, SKK Migas recorded that the realization of ready-to-sale production or oil and gas lifting reached an average of 1.63 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) or only reached 95.6% of the 2021 APBN target of 1. 71 boepd.

    Dwi explained that entering the beginning of the year, the upstream oil and gas industry had started with low achievements with a production reduction of 19,500 bopd.

    He said there were unplanned shutdowns in a number of work areas which resulted in a production reduction of 4,000 bopd and a delay in drilling and drilling results which reduced production by 5,000 bopd.

"The outlook can be 680,000 barrels of oil per day, gas from the targeted 5,600 MMscfd, the proposed KKKS 5,100 MMscfd, and the proposal can be 5,108 WP&B and because there is a low entry point, it is projected to reach 5,529 MMscfd," he explained.

    According to him, the Covid-19 pandemic has made operational activities inefficient due to a reduction in manpower in the field.

    From a financial point of view, the price of oil that had fallen last year has disrupted the cash flow of cooperation contract contractors (KKKS) so that investment activities have stalled.

"We need time because contractors are also looking at the extent of the impact of the pandemic, which is currently booming," he said.

    SKK Migas Deputy Operations Julius Wiratno added that the reduced mobility of people and equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic was indeed felt by the upstream oil and gas sector, which in turn had an impact on operational activities.

    According to him, throughout the year operational activities are still quite challenging. This will certainly affect the long-term program (LTP) that has been set by SKK Migas.

"The correlation with LTP will be corrected, we are setting terms and conditions from this year to increase next year, but in fact, we will decrease by 3% -4% from the estimate," he explained.

    Meanwhile, during the first 6 months of this year, there were 10 out of 15 KKKS that recorded lifting realizations below the target of this year's APBN.

EMCL

    ExxonMobil Cepu Limited (EMCL) recorded a red report card with the realization of oil lifting of 208,936 bopd. This record is still lower than the 2021 State Budget target set at 219,000 bopd.

Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI)

    Apart from ExxonMobil Cepu Limited (EMCL), another KKKS that are below the target is Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) with a lifting realization of 160,646 bopd or only 97.4% of the 2021 APBN target, which is 165,000 bopd.

PT Pertamina EP

    PT Pertamina EP is also a KKKS that recorded a red performance with the realization of oil lifting only 71,420 bopd or 84% of the APBN target of 85,000 bopd.

Pertamina Hulu Energi ONWJ

    Pertamina Hulu Energi ONWJ Ltd recorded the realization of 27,615 bopd or 98.6% of the 2021 APBN target of 28,000 bopd.

    Another Pertamina group that recorded below-target performance was Pertamina Hulu Energi OSES with the realization of 24,594 bopd or 91.1% of the 2021 APBN target of 27,000 bopd.

    Pertamina Hulu East Kalimantan reported the realization of 9,174 bopd or 87.4% of the 2021 APBN target of 10,500 bopd.

    Minor results were also recorded by Pertamina Hulu Sanga-Sanga with a lifting of 11,807 bopd or 99.2% of the APBN target of 11,900%. BOB Bumi Siak Pusako-Pertamina Hulu only reached 95.9% of the APBN target of 9,000 bopd with a realization of 8,913 bopd.

Petrochina International Jabung Ltd

    Next is Petrochina International Jabung Ltd which recorded a Red report card with the realization of 14,823 bopd or 92.6% of this year's APBN target of 16,000 bopd.

    On the other hand, for the realization of natural gas lifting, almost all KKKS have succeeded in exceeding the target set in the 2021 State Budget. However, there are several KKKS experiencing gas absorption problems.

STILL DEPRESSED

    Executive Director of the National Oil and Gas Company Association (Aspermigas) Moshe Rizal believes that the Covid-19 pandemic has made operations in the field quite challenging.

    In addition, KKKS still do not dare to increase their investment during the Covid-19 pandemic. The problem is, even though production is already running, increasing production cannot be separated from the need for investment.

"The government must immediately overcome this pandemic so that operations can run normally again. At the very least, to restore investor interest, incentives must be provided,” he said.

    Meanwhile, ReforMiner Executive Director Komaidi Notonegoro said referring to the realization of Indonesia's lifting since 2000, the results obtained usually do not reach the target and lead to a downward trend.

    In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic that has occurred since last year has again made the lifting target set by the government difficult to achieve due to the disruption of operational activities.

"However, conditions before the pandemic had shown a downward trend," he explained.

Bisnis Indonesia, Page-4, Monday, July 19, 2021

Seven Upstream Oil and Gas Projects Worth US$ 1.45 B in Operation

    The Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) stated that as many as seven upstream oil and gas projects from the target of 12 projects this year have been operating (on stream). The investment value of these seven projects reaches US$ 1.45 billion or equivalent to Rp. 21.12 trillion.

    The seven upstream oil and gas projects are the Belato-2 Early Production Facility (EPF) project by PT Seleraya Merangin II, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) for the Jirak Field by PT Pertamina EP, and gas supply to the Balikpapan Refinery by PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM).

    Next are the development of the KLD Field by PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (ONWJ), the West Pangkah Field by PT Saka Energi Indonesia, the Merakes Field by Eni East Sepinggan, and the North Area Field by Jindi South Jambi Block B.

Eni

    The seven projects produce oil production of 9,850 barrels per day (BPD) and gas of 474.5 million standard cubic feet per day/MMscfd. Thus, the successful completion of these seven projects can reduce the rate of natural production decline that occurs.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

“The activities carried out have successfully completed 58.3% of the target. We are optimistic that all of the upstream oil and gas projects targeted by 2021 can be completed because the other five projects are in process and are still in accordance with the plan," said SKK Migas Deputy Operations Julius Wiratno.

    In the midst of the economic situation that has not yet recovered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the realization of these upstream oil and gas projects is able to create new jobs and support the movement of the regional economy. 

    In addition, this project also supports national and regional companies to be able to continue to survive and maintain business continuity. For this reason, his party together with the cooperation contract contractors (KKKS) are trying to accelerate the work on the project which is scheduled for 2022.

"Hopefully something can be accelerated this year, so hopefully the number of onstream projects can exceed this year's target and support an increase in production next year," said Julius.

    This has been facilitated by the development of the Integrated Operation Center (IOC) facility. With the IOC, it can improve supervision and facilitate operational flexibility to achieve national oil and gas production targets. This is because the IOC allows SKK Migas to carry out 24-hour real-time surveillance.

    His party also anticipates the movement of people and goods in the midst of tightening mobility policies to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is to ensure the availability of goods or services to support production operations in the field according to the timetable.

"To maintain the smooth mobility of upstream oil and gas goods and workers, we continue to coordinate with related parties so that production operations continue normally," said Julius.

    Acceleration of the vaccination program must also be carried out in line with government programs.

"So, we hope to keep the confirmed cases of Covid-19 under control in upstream oil and gas. SKK Migas also continuously coordinates with KKKS (cooperation contract contractors) to ensure that the health protocols have been implemented as well as possible so that production stops do not occur due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases," said Julius.

    In the upstream oil and gas environment itself, the rate of increase in confirmed cases of Covid-19 actually tends to be sloping compared to the end of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. However, his party still anticipates the potential for an increase in cases due to social interactions during Eid al-Fitr yesterday. 

Jambaran Tiung Biru (JTB) gas Project

    Julius added that this year, one of the upstream oil and gas projects included in the national strategic project (PSN), namely Jambaran Tiung Biru (JTB), is scheduled to start operating. 

    He is optimistic that this target can be achieved. Moreover, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif and the Head of SKK Migas Dwi Soetjipto have directly reviewed the work on this project.

Investor Daily, Page-10, Thursday, July 1, 2021

RESET ONSTREAM SCHEDULE

    The operating schedules of a number of upstream oil and gas projects were forced to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic which still creates uncertainty in the sector. It is hoped that the fulfillment of the needs for the downstream sector will not be disrupted. One of the delays in the operation schedule was the Tangguh Train-3 National Strategic Project (PSN).

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    Deputy for Special Task Force Operations (SKK Migas) Julius Wiratno said the completion of the project would miss the target in the fourth quarter of 2021 to next year.

    According to him, at the beginning of this year, the project had been suspended for 3 months due to the spread of Covid-19. To resume the project, it will take longer.

“Probably around mid-2022. We are currently doing a schedule and risk analysis. We'll see if it can be fixed," he said.

    Based on SKK Migas records as of March 26, 2021, the progress of the Tangguh Train-3 onshore project in Papua still reached 89.58% or lower than the target, which was 96.21%. Meanwhile, the offshore project work on Tangguh Train-3 has reached 99.19% of the target that should have been 100%.

the Jambaran-Tiung Biru (JTB) gas project

    In addition to the Tangguh Train-3 project, a scheduled shift has also occurred in the Jambaran-Tiung Biru (JTB) gas project. Julius said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the second wave which worsened conditions at home made the project. SKK Migas will oversee these projects so that they can be completed by the end of the year.

“The JTB project has been pushed back from August to November or December 2021 onstream. There is still uncertainty because of this Covid," he said.

    Overall, to date, SKK Migas has successfully completed seven upstream oil and gas projects from the target of 12 onstream projects in 2021.

    Investments in the seven projects were recorded at US$ 1.45 billion and provided additional production of 9,850 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and 474.5 million cubic feet of gas per day (MMscfd).

    The seven upstream oil and gas projects that are already onstream are EPF Belato2 Seleraya Merangin Dua, EOR Jirak Pertamina EP, KLD PHE ONWJ, Gas Supply to RU-V Pertamina Hulu Mahakam, West Pangkah Saka Indonesia Pangkah Ltd, Merakes Eni East Sepinggan, and North Area Jindi. South Jambi Block B.

Eni

    Meanwhile, in line with upstream oil and gas activities and the tightening of government policies to implement efforts to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic, the upstream oil and gas business is also taking anticipatory steps in order to continue to achieve the target. One of the anticipatory measures taken is the acceleration of the vaccination program which is carried out together with government programs.

"SKK Migas also continuously coordinates with KKKS to ensure that the health protocols are implemented as well as possible so that production does not stop due to the Covid-19 case," he said.

    Julius added that the movement of people and goods needs to be added to ensure the availability of goods or services to support production operations on time.

"We are working on accelerating projects launched in 2022. Hopefully, something can be accelerated this year, so hopefully, the number of projects that can onstream can exceed this year's target and support an increase in production next year," he explained.

    Energy Director Watching Mamit Setiawan assessed that the delay in the streaming schedule for oil and gas projects was not entirely the fault of the contractor.

"The contractors must have made changes to their plans from last year with the hope that the pandemic can subside this year and fabrication activities can operate normally in manufacturing companies, but it seems that it failed to meet the target," said Mamit.

    However, he hopes that the preparation of the goods will not take too long, especially if the project is a PSN. Especially for JTB, it doesn't really matter if the project is planned. Surprisingly, the demand for gas for the industry in East Java currently tends to below.

    Executive Director of the National Oil and Gas Company Association (Aspermigas) Moshe Rizal assessed that the Covid-19 pandemic had indeed caused a lot of uncertainty. Moreover, there is a policy to make it difficult for KKKS to achieve the required productivity.

“It's really difficult because of the number of personnel in the field and travel restrictions. This all hampers productivity. Although the goods are available but not optimal, "he said.

OIL AND GAS INVESTMENT

    Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources stated that investment in the upstream oil and gas sector is still below the target.

    Director-General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Tutuka Ariadji, said the Covid-19 pandemic had a major impact on the domestic oil and gas industry. This causes oil and gas investment to be slow. Meanwhile, this year's investment in the upstream oil and gas sector is targeted at US$12.4 billion. He said that until June 2021, the realization of the investment was less than half of the target.

"In this month or May-June 2021, upstream oil and gas investment is 25.52 percent of the 2021 target," he said.

    Tutuka said the government continues to strive to improve services and ease of doing business in the domestic upstream oil and gas sector. He said the government had issued a number of regulations that would support this facility.

    He explained that the government had made a policy to increase the use of domestic products in upstream oil and gas activities, namely the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 15 of 2013, and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 14 of 2019, as well as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 17 of 2018.

"The oil and gas sector is one of the natural resources that is multifunctional and plays a major role in the country and contributes to the growth of national income," said Tutuka.

Bisnis Indonesia, Page-4, Thursday, July 1, 2021

Uncertainty Still Looming

 

    High uncertainty still overshadows many upstream oil and gas projects which are targeted to operate this year. Apart from the prolonged impact of the pandemic, the fluctuating factor in world oil prices also makes the prospect always combined with risk.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    Based on the records of the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas), this year it is targeted that as many as 12 projects will be on stream with a total project value of US $ 1.62 billion.

    During the first quarter of 2021, there were 4 onstream projects with a total investment of US $ 111 million, increasing oil and gas production by 5,850 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and 69.5 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd).

PHE ONWJ

    These projects include Gas Supply to RU-V Pertamina Hulu Mahakam, Belato Field by Seleraya Merangin Dua, and the KLD PHE ONWJ project, West Pangkah Saka Indonesia Pangkah.

    Executive Director of the National Oil and Gas Companies Association (Aspermigas) Moshe Rizal is optimistic that the cooperation contract contractors (KKKS) can be more active this year and increase their investment to catch up with last year's lagging performance.

    KKKS will focus on commercially faster projects so that the possibility of project delays this year can be minimized. In the latest development, the Merakes field in the East Sepinggan Working Area has been included in the onstream project after being delayed last year. National gas production is projected to increase by 368 MMscfd.

    It is admitted that realizing the project with a total investment of US $ 1.3 billion located in the Makassar Strait requires extra efforts due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic that has emerged since early 2020.

"This project was initially targeted to get onstream faster in the third quarter of 2020. It turns out that we have to shift slightly from the onstream plan that is in the POD approval to the first quarter of 2021, "said the head of SKK Migas Dwi Soetjipto.

Eni

    The important thing from the development of Merakes Field is the ability to synergize to improve the economy in the field. The proximity of the Merakes field discovery to the Jangkrik Lapanga Floating Production Unit (FPU) allows Eni to maximize synergies with the closest existing infrastructure to improve the economics of the Merakes Field. You do this by using a shared facility sharing scheme.

the Merakes field by ENI

    The Merakes Field development project is a deep-sea project where the depth is about 1,500 meters below sea level. This project has 5 production wells with a total production capacity of 450 MMSCFD or the equivalent of 85,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOEPD).

    The production contribution from the Merakes field will increase the gas supply for East Kalimantan Province. Most of it will be prioritized for domestic consumers, including the fertilizer and electricity industry in East Kalimantan, and processed at the Bontang Refinery into LNG.

"We hope that with the certainty of gas supply for the industry, it will provide a bigger multiplier effect for the national economy," Dwi said.

    According to him, this year there are two national strategic projects targeted onstream, namely Jambaran Tiung Biru with a total investment of US $ 1.53 billion. If it operates commercially, it is projected to increase national gas production by 190 MMscfd.

    Tangguh Train-3 Papua is also scheduled to go on stream in the fourth quarter of 2021 with estimated additional gas production of 700 MMscfd and a concentrate of 3,000 barrels of condensate per day (BCPD).

    This US $ 8.9 billion projects was delayed from the previous target in the third quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2021. With the support of these projects, it is hoped that investment in the upstream oil and gas sector this year can be better than last year's US $ 10.21 billion from the 2020 target of US $ 12.1 billion.

"We hope that the investment in the upstream oil and gas sector at the end of the year can be greater than 2020. The amount of realization in the first quarter of 2021 is the US $ 2.4 billion, then for revenue in the first quarter of 2021 it will reach US $ 6.67 billion."

    Energy Watch Executive Director Mamit Setiawan said these expectations can be achieved as long as a number of important conditions are met. For example, related to the development of world oil prices, ease of carrying out work during a pandemic, full support from stakeholders, and solid cooperation at the regional level.

Bisnis Indonesia, Page-2, Friday, April 30, 2021.

The irony of an oil spill on Karawang

 

    An oil spill incident occurred again in the waters of Karawang, West Java. Not yet recovering from previous injuries, the north coast of Karawang was again tested. Mitigation and recovery of the impact of the incident are priorities.

    The black oil spills were scattered in a number of points on the north coast of Karawang, West Java, Saturday (24/4/2021) afternoon. The spill contaminated the beach sand to the rocks by the beach and the access road around it. There is a liquid form. Some of them are compacted. The smell is strong. The sea breeze made the smell easily spread everywhere.

    Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) admitted that there was a pipe leak in the BZZA area, about 15 miles from the Karawang coast, Thursday (15/4/2021).

    During his visit to one of the affected points on Cemarajaya Beach, Cibuaya District, Karawang Regent Cellica Nurrachadiana said that the spill this time came from a leak in one of the pipes off the coast.

"We set a deadline so that this problem does not drag on, a maximum of three weeks for cleaning. If it is done, the environmental restoration will be carried out according to the study of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry," he said.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    SKK Migas Operations Deputy Julius Wiratno said the cause of the oil pipeline leak this time was internal corrosion of the pipe. The pipe is said to be old. So far, there have been no signs of external damage to the pipeline.

    As a result of this incident, the estimated loss of production due to oil leakage is around 6,000 barrels per day. Until now, the number of oil spills that have been collected is at least 10 barrels.

“Pipeline repair work with clamp installation is still ongoing. Currently, it has reached 80 percent, "he said.

    Manager Communications Relations & CID PHE ONWJ Hari Setyono said he had repaired the pipeline so that it was ensured that no more oil spilled out. The handling team also deployed several vessels to clean oil in the sea area. Ocean and air monitoring continue to follow the Oil Spill Model (MOTUM) trajectory, including the PHE ONWJ production facility and other potential areas.

Repeat

    The oil spill incident was an irony because it had previously occurred in Karawang waters, July 12, 2019. At that time, the oil spill came from drilling the YYA -1 well in the PHE ONWJ area. The leak at YYA-1 was stopped in September 2019. Contaminated seawater disturbs marine life and affects the quality of water used by shrimp and fish farmers.

    Endi Muhtarudin (63), a farmer in Sungai Buntu Village, felt the pain. He lost billions of rupiah due to early harvest. After the incident, the shrimp ponds were harvested early in stages. The shrimp was supposed to be harvested at the end of August.

    Ideally, a pond covering an area of ​​2,500 square meters produces 7-8 tons of shrimp with a selling price of Rp 105,000 per kilogram for 30 fish per kg. However, yesterday's early harvest only produced 1-3 tons of shrimp with a selling price of IDR 38,000-IDR 50,000 per kg.

    Losses for an early harvest shrimp pond reached hundreds of millions of rupiah. If calculated by the number of existing ponds, the total loss reaches billions of rupiah.

    This series of events almost made Endi despair. Moreover, until now, he said he had not received compensation from PHE ONWJ. In fact, he has spent a lot of money to cover losses to restore the basic quality of the ponds which reaches billions of rupiah to cover losses to restore the basic quality of the ponds.

"I sprayed it three times and heaped up new sand at the bottom of the pond. The cost is not small, "said Endi.

    This oil spill made a number of residents worried about the restoration of nature which correlates with businesses on the north coast. It seems that the monetary compensation will never be worth the long-term loss to the surrounding ecosystem.

    Secretary of the Citarum River Region Community Forum (Forkadas + C), Yuda Febrian Silitonga, in September 2019, said that the oil spill in the YYA-1 well off the coast of Tempuran-Karawang as far as 7 nautical miles raised fears of environmental pollution on the coasts of Karawang and Bekasi West Java.

    Oil will undergo a series of changes, weathering, or decay of physical and chemical properties in the marine environment.

 "The impact of the waste shows a negative effect on the coastal environment and marine waters, especially if there is direct contact with aquatic organisms," he said.

    One that has the potential to be affected is the Ciparage and Sendulang reef clusters. Sendulang coral reef has six coral clusters and Ciparage coral reef has five coral clusters with a total area of ​​121.67 hectares.

    Environmental restoration is one of the priorities that must be carried out immediately. In mid-July 2019, four dolphin carcasses were found on the north coast of Karawang, West Java, after the YYA-1 offshore platform leak incident in the PHE ONWJ Block.

the PHE ONWJ Block.

    The first carcass was found near the Buntu River, Pedes District, Monday (15/7/2019). End of July found another dolphin carcass. On August 17, 2019, the third dolphin carcass was found in the mouth of the Cilebar River, North Pusakajaya Village, Cilebar District. Finally, the carcass was found on September 5, 2019, in the Pelangi Beach area, Pedes District.

Disturbed ecosystem

    According to a marine pollution researcher from the LIPI Oceanographic Research Center Muhammad Reza Cordova, the sea contaminated with oil spilled waste can affect fish life and the ecosystem in it. When exposed to a direct oil spill, fish can immediately move away from the oil spill. However, the oil mixed in the water column will indirectly expose the fish.

    This can disrupt fish growth. The size of the liver is swollen, the liver is swollen, the heart rate of respiration or respiration can change, and the work of the fins and the reproductive health of the fish can be disturbed.

    The position of oil is on the surface of the water, but due to its large quantity, it is exposed to currents and waves, it can mix with water. This mixed oil is present in several locations, starting from the surface, the water column, to the bottom of the water.

    The oil that has reached the bottom and accumulated in the sediments can make them more toxic. This is because the shape of the crude oil changes its molecular shape. Oil also has a negative impact on coral reefs, seagrass (plants that live in shallow seas), and mangroves.

"Oil covering the surface of individual corals, seagrass or mangroves can trigger stress, so that the ecosystem will be disturbed. If the marine ecosystem is disturbed, the fish will automatically leave or die, ”said Reza.

    Regarding ecosystem restoration, Reza suggested, the process of cleaning the sea must be clean of oil first, because the oil will block the diffusion of oxygen from the air to water or sediment affected by pollution. 

"It must be completely cleaned so that it does not settle, which can eventually accumulate in the biota," he said.

    Pertamina Subholding Upstream Corporate Secretary Whisnu Bahriansyah said that his party will commit to restoring the environment due to the oil spill. Currently, his office is still focused on cleaning up the oil spill. The cause of the leak was also investigated.

    Good mitigation is needed to reduce the impact that may occur. This incident cannot be repeated because it can have a long impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

Kompas, Page-11, Wednesday, April 28, 2021.

January, Upstream Oil and Gas Investment Reaches The US $ 8732 Million

 

    The Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) noted that the realization of upstream oil and gas investment in January 2021 reached US $ 873.2 million or 7.05 percent of this year's target of US $ 12.38 billion. This realization is better than the condition in January 2020 which was the only US $ 767.5 million.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    Acting Head of Program and Communication Division of SKK Migas Susana Kurniasih said the investment achievement was after the successful completion of the accelerated completion of supporting documents for program implementation at the end of last year.

"So that the realization of investment in January 2021 is higher in number and percentage compared to the same period last year," said Susana.

    Susana explained that the investment realization in January was to support exploration and development activities. These exploration activities were carried out by PT Pertamina EP, PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), ENI East Sepinggan, PT Pertamina Hulu East Kalimantan (PHKT), and PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore South East Sumatra (PHE OSES).

ENI

    Meanwhile, development activities in the form of Well drilling were carried out by PHM, ENI East Sepinggan, Pertamina EP, PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga-Sanga (PHSS), PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ), Petronas Carigali Ketapang II, Exxon Mobile Cepu Limited EMCL, and BP Tangguh.

 Blogger Agus Purnomo in Petronas Carigali Ketapang II

    From the procurement aspect, the 2021 procurement list, which was completed at the end of last year, was able to accelerate the process of procuring goods and services this year.

"In addition, the highest number of procurement packages is in January 2021, so that KKKS (cooperation contract contractors) will have a longer time to carry out operations for upstream oil and gas management," said Susana.

    His party will continue to oversee upstream oil and gas investment this year, including related to licensing and procurement of goods and services. He hopes that the minimum procurement constraints can encourage optimal investment absorption. 

    In addition, his party will coordinate with the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) so that this year's upstream oil and gas activity plan can be carried out as planned. He is also optimistic that upstream oil and gas investment this year will be better than last year.

"As world oil prices improve, business players' optimism towards Covid-19 prevention and massive vaccination in various countries including Indonesia, the upstream oil and gas business climate this year will be much better than 2020," said Susana.

    The investment realization also has an impact on the smooth running of upstream oil and gas projects. Of the target of 12 upstream oil and gas projects this year, two projects have started operating in January, namely the KLD ONWJ Project with an investment of US $ 34 million and the gas supply project to the Balikpapan Refinery of US $ 27 million. This month, the US $ 46 million West Pangkah Project is scheduled to start operating.

Investor Daily, Page-10, Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021

The Merakes Project will be Operated in the Second Quarter of 2021

 

    The Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) is optimistic that the Merakes Field development project, the East Sepinggan Block, will start operating in the second quarter of this year. This project will generate additional gas production of up to 368 million standard cubic feet per day / MMScfd.

Blogger Agus Purnomo in SKK Migas

    Deputy for Operations of SKK Migas Julius Wiratno said that the work on the Merakes Project which was undertaken by ENI East Sepinggan had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The main obstacles faced were restrictions on the movement of goods and Human Resources (HR) required by the project. However, ENI and his party are trying to catch up with the delay in this project.

ENI

"Currently, the activities have been carried out smoothly, so that the project progress has reached 88.5% or only 1.5% slower than the target. We are trying to get the first gas project at the end of April 2021, "said Julius.

the Merakes Field

    This year, gas production from the Merakes Field is targeted to reach 345 MMScfd. This gas production will continue to be boosted so that it can reach peak production of up to 368 MMscfd in 2022.

"Gas from this field will be flowed to the Bontang LNG Refinery in East Kalimantan to fulfill existing market commitments," he added.

    The construction of the Merakes Project began in 2019 with an investment fund of US $ 1.3 billion. In the plan of development / POD for the Merakes Project, ENI plans to drill six underwater wells and build a submarine pipeline system that will be connected to the floating production unit / FPU of Jangkrik Field in the Muara Bakau Block. 

Jangkrik Field

    Later, the Merakes Field gas will be sent via the existing pipe from the Jangkrik Field FPU to the Bontang LNG Refinery operated by PT Badak NGL. Similar to the Jangkrik Field, the Merakes Field will also extend the operating life of the Bontang LNG Plant.

    ENI stated that Merakes Field is estimated to have gas reserves of 2 trillion cubic feet in its official statement. This oil and gas potential was discovered after ENI drilled the Merakes-1 well in 2014. Furthermore, in 2017, ENI drilled the Merakes-2 appraisal well. In January, two Projects Completed SKK Migas succeeded in completing two of the 12 oil and gas projects targeted to operate in 2021.

    The two projects are the KLD Project by PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) with a capacity of 16 MMscfd and the project to divert gas supply from the South Mahakam Field to the Balikpapan Refinery by PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) 50 Mmscfd. According to Julius, these two projects were successfully completed on time, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The timely implementation of these two projects gives confidence that the implementation of other projects that will be carried out in 2021 can be realized on time," said Julius.

    Together with the cooperation contract contractor (KKKS), they are trying to maximize the implementation of activities in the field. One of them is by accelerating the realization of projects that are supposed to be implemented next year to this year.

"I do not promise, but we are trying to accelerate the achievement of activities like last year. This acceleration requires a very large effort, "said Julius.

    Last year, SKK Migas succeeded in realizing the operation of 15 projects out of the targeted 12 projects, even though one project encountered obstacles.

    Julius hopes that acceleration efforts can be carried out considering that current oil prices are improving faster than world predictions so that they can also increase the economic calculation of upstream oil and gas business activities. After the average world oil price in January reached around the US $ 55 per barrel, the oil price reached US $ 63 per barrel this February. 

    Meanwhile, the oil price assumption in the APBN is the US $ 45 per barrel. The total investment for the 12 upstream oil and gas projects which are scheduled to operate this year reaches the US $ 1.7 billion. The 12 projects will provide additional oil production of 28,508 barrels per day (bpd) and gas of 484.2 MMScfd.

Investor Daily, Page-9, Saturday, Feb 20, 2021