TEMPO.CO, Balikpapan - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) predicts that the gas content owned by Chevron Indonesia Company could last for another 60 years. The United States-based oil and gas company provides gas for 3,849 gas networks in Balikpapan.
“We predict that Chevron’s gas supply can last up to 60 years into the future,” said the General Director of Oil and Gas at the ESDM Ministry Wiratmaja on Thursday, February 2, 2017.
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Chevron Indonesia is the operator of the gas and oil block in East Kalimantan until October 2018. The company has been involved in gas and oil exploration and exploitation in East Kalimantan since 1960. Ahead of the end of its contract period, Chevron is committed to supporting the gas network program in East Kalimantan.
The Government also wants a smooth transition in the block management, from the current one to another new operator later on. “We’ll discuss the gas supply with the new operator of East Kalimantan block,” Wiratmaja said.
Wiratmaja hopes that Chevron Indonesia would not conduct a mass layoff at the end of its contract. He also says that a chance that employees of Chevron Indonesia could be employed by the new block operator is possible. “I hope there will be no a massive layoff. Everyone must commit in sustaining the continuity of the operations at the East Kalimantan block. Let it run naturally,” he said.
Vice President of O&M Chevron Kalimantan Operations, Ruby Mulyawan, stated that he did not have the authority to comment on the sustainability of East Kalimantan block which includes the old fields management partnership.
Ruby only mentioned that the production of East Kalimantan block continues to experience a significant decrease. This block is only able to produce up to 40-46 million cubic gas each day. “This is the gas supply that is sent to the refinery in Balikpapan,” Ruby said.
Chevron continues to explore new wells in order to maintain the oil and gas production in East Kalimantan block.
SG WIBISONO
