Experts meet on deepwater oil

JAKARTA (JP): Local and foreign oil experts gathered here on Tuesday for a seminar to discuss oil and gas exploration in deepwater areas.

The Indonesian Sedimentologists Forum (FOSI) organized the Second Regional Seminar on Deepwater Sedimentation of Southeast Asia, which featured world-class deepwater experts. In a statement issued at the seminar, the discussions were aimed at studying "the intricacies of deepwater opportunities in Indonesia and its vicinity."

FOSI is a division of the Indonesian Association of Geologists.

FX Sujanto, senior advisor to state oil and gas company Pertamina's upstream vice president, said during the seminar that around 11 billion barrels of oil and 31 trillion cubic feet of gas had been discovered in deepwater areas surrounding East Kalimantan.

More reserves have yet to be discovered in these areas, he said.

He added that deepwater exploration is predicted to peak in the near future as the government had been offering six new oil and gas blocks in the areas to investors. (jsk)