Canadian firm finds no oil

JAKARTA (JP): Canadian oil and gas company PT Canadian Petroleum Manna Ltd. had failed to find oil deposits during its exploration activities off the coast of Manna in the southern part of Bengkulu province, a provincial official said on Monday.

Head of the province's Oil, Power and Renewable Energy Office Soegito was quoted by Antara as saying the company had drilled to a depth of 2,120 meters in quartz areas of the Baturaja and Talang Akar formations.

He said the company had asked state oil and gas company Pertamina to declare its Kobra I well dry.

The company's failure to find oil deposits in the area was surprising given the fact that satellite surveys indicated that the area contained oil, Soegito said.

"Satellite technology may not be sophisticated enough so that it still produces errors," he said. (02)