https://img.jakpost.net/c/2019/12/18/2019_12_18_83732_1576654271._large.jpg
Workers erect a drill rig to bore at one of six wells in the Jembaran Tiung Biru (JTB) gas field in Cepu block, East Java, in October 2010. The field's operator, Pertamina EP Cepu, expects the field to begin commercial operations in July 2021. (Pertamina/Pertamina)

Pertamina to kick off gas, oil exploration in Thousand Islands in March

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Upstream oil and gas company PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) Offshore Southeast Sumatra (OSES) plans to start  oil and gas exploration in the Thousand Islands, north of Jakarta’s coast, next month.

“Prior to the exploration, we will carry out several procedures, including informing residents living nearby the exploration area,” PHE spokesperson Ifki Sukarya said in Jakarta on Thursday as quoted by Antara.

The subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina met with officials of  Thousand Islands regency and its regent, Murad Husein, to inform the relevant stakeholders on the matter. 

Efforts to disseminate information regarding the project will be gradually conducted.

The PHE is set to announce the plan to residents of Kelapa Island subdistrict and other Thousand Island dwellers on Feb. 18 to 19, he added. 

“We will inform residents so that they will know about [the exploration] and we will receive [public] support so that the drilling process can run smoothly,” Ifki said. 

Last year, PHE Offshore North West Java (ONWJ) administered oil and gas exploration in Thousand Islands. 

According to previous The Jakarta Post reports, Pertamina spent hundreds of billions of rupiah to deal with a broken well at its ONWJ block due to a misfired explosion during the drilling of the YYA-1 oil well, in July last year. 

In September, the broken well caused a massive oil spill that affected nine islands in Thousand Islands regency. The Environment and Forestry Ministry estimated at that time that the spill would take as long as six months to clean up. (ydp)