Online Tenders for 15 Oil and Gas Working Areas to Be Opened
7 August 2015 13:20 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta- The Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry has changed the tender scheme for 15 oil and gas working areas from direct to online.
“Online tenders will reduce contact and ‘manipulation’. Therefore, it will be more transparent,” Djoko Siswanto director for upstream oil and gas at the ESDM Ministry, said on Friday, August 7.
However, the ESDM Ministry has yet neither opened the link related to the tenders on its official website nor explained the scheme. Previously, the government was required conduct goods and services procurement via the Electronic Procurement Center (LPSE).
The government has opened tenders for at least eight blocks this month. Five of the blocks—namely West Asri, Offshore Lampung; Oti, Offshore East Kalimantan; Rupat Labuhan Offshore Riau and North Sumatera; Kasuri II, Onshore Papua; and North Adang, Offshore Sulawesi Barat—will be offered through regular tender mechanism.
Projects included in online tenders are North Jabung, Onshore Riau and Jambi; South West Benggana, Onshore East Kalimantan; and West Berau, Offshore West Papua.
In addition, seven non-conventional working areas will be offered through online tenders next month. According to I Gusti Nyoman Wiratmaja Puja, ESDM Ministry’s director general of oil and gas, the working areas to be included in Coal Bed Methane production are Batu Ampar, Blora Deep, Jambi I, and Jambi II for Coal Bed Methane (CBM). Meanwhile, those to be included in shale gas projects are Raja, South Sumatera, and West Air Komering.
In a bid to lure investors, the ESDM Ministry is currently preparing regulations alternative oil and gas agreement in addition to the production sharing contract. With the current tender system and declining oil prices, the ESDM Ministry is concerned that no investors would be interested in oil and gas projects.
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