TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina CEO Elia Massa Manik is confident that the company can expand to and explore two oil fields in Iran. The oil fields are Mansouri and Ab Teymoura.
“Two oil fields; the process has been long. We had asked through the Coordinating Minister [for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution], to accelerate [exploration],” Massa said yesterday, August 16 at Pertamina building.
Read: Pertamina Gets 2 New Directors
Massa said that Pertamina will focus on one oil field first and foremost. The second one will be developed later after the exploration of the first one is completed.
Indonesia needs to explore the oil fields to increase oil supply, according to Massa. He reasoned that the two oil fields can produce 250,000 barrels per day. “But we should not rely on it,” he said.
Massa added that the government is open to new partners to add to the existing ones. He said that Indonesia will take part in more oil exploration projects abroad in the future.
“Negotiation process is ongoing,” said the Pertamina CEO. “We will have to partner with a local company [in Iran]. We are open to partnership.”
IMAM HAMDI