Pertamina Develops Discovery from Manpatu Offshore Exploration Well

The development of the Manpatu exploration well discovery in the South Mahakam offshore field is progressing steadily. Balikpapan (ANTARA) - PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) is undertaking the development of the Manpatu exploration well discovery located in the offshore field off Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. “The development of the Manpatu exploration well discovery in the South Mahakam offshore field is continuing to progress,” said General Manager of PT PHM, Setyo Sapto Edi, on Monday, when asked about oil and natural gas production in Balikpapan. The Manpatu project is situated approximately 35 kilometres from the Balikpapan coast, with water depths reaching 50 to 60 metres, he continued, and the facilities being built can handle gas flow up to 80 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD). The project is currently entering the stage of loading out the jacket from the fabrication facility at PT Meindo Elang Indah in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, on 26 March 2026. The topside will follow in mid-April 2026, and the installation of the entire platform is targeted for completion in early quarter III of this year, around July to mid-August 2026. “There is also the construction of the topside with a total weight of around 2,400 tonnes, as well as the installation of approximately 2.5 kilometres of subsea pipelines and the drilling of 11 development wells,” he said. PT PHM, a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), manages oil and natural gas operations in the Mahakam working area, known to East Kalimantan residents as Total Indonesie, an Indonesian company with capital and technology from Total, France, prior to 2017. The Manpatu project by PT PHM has recorded progress in the use of local components, he said, marking the first time in the Mahakam area that fully domestically produced production pipes are used, from subsea pipelines to connections on the platform. PT PHM also reported more than two million working hours without lost time incidents (LTI) up to March 2026. The Manpatu project is part of a fast-track programme or system due to its tight schedule since the gas discovery in 2022, with the Manpatu facilities targeted to come onstream in quarter I 2027, according to Setyo Sapto Edi.