Pertamina offers 28 oil exploration areas

Pertamina offers 28 oil exploration areas

JAKARTA (JP): The state oil company Pertamina yesterday
announced that it has opened bidding for 20 oil and gas
exploration areas under production-sharing arrangements and a
further eight areas under a technical assistance scheme.

Pertamina's director of production and exploration, G.A.S.
Nayoan, told reporters that the 20 areas include the Genteng bloc
offshore Southwestern Java; the Sula bloc offshore East Sulawesi;
the Rembang bloc offshore Northeastern Java; the Banggai bloc
offshore Central Sulawesi; the Masalembo bloc offshore
Northeastern Java; the Madura bloc offshore Northeastern Java;
the Blora bloc in Central Java; the Biliton bloc in Southwestern
Java; the Bangkudulis bloc in East Kalimantan; the Samberah,
Binangat, Pelarang, Sambutan, Karang Mumus and Mathilda blocs,
all in East Kalimantan; the Diski, Basilam and Batumandi blocs,
all in North Sumatra; as well as the Pamanukan and Sukatani
blocs, both offshore West Java.

The areas to be offered under a technical assistance scheme
are the Securai bloc in North Sumatra; the Tanjung Lontar,
Sengkuang and Arahan Banjarsari blocs in South Sumatra; the
Sungai Gelam bloc in South Sumatra; the Dahor bloc in South
Kalimantan; the Bangadua bloc in West Java; the Tanta bloc in
South Kalimantan; as well as the Linda and Sele blocs in Irian
Jaya, Nayoan said.

"Of the blocs offered, Pertamina expects to sign 17 contracts
this year", he told journalists at Pertamina's headquarters
following a ceremony for the signing of an agreement on a gas
liquefaction project in Natuna, and four oil exploration
contracts.

Finalizing

Nayoan told The Jakarta Post that his company is now
finalizing bidding documents for five new production-sharing
contracts and three extended technical assistance contracts.

For the production-sharing deals, Pertamina will likely award
the Pedada bloc in Aceh and the Chalic bloc in Asamera off South
Sumatra to Opix Corp. of Taiwan; the Larian bloc in West Sulawesi
to Amoseas Indonesia Inc. of the United States; the Sembawang II
bloc in East Kalimantan to Shell Corp. of the Netherlands; and
the Sibolga bloc in North Sumatra to PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia,
Nayoan said.

He added that the extended technical assistance contracts
include the Corridor bloc in North Sumatra, which may be awarded
to Asamera Oil Indonesia Ltd. of the United States; the Kepala
Burung bloc in Irian Jaya, which may be awarded to Santa Fe
Resources Ltd. of the United States; and the CPT Caltex bloc,
which may be awarded to PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia.

Nayoan said that last year Pertamina signed only one profit-
sharing contract and three technical assistance contracts.

Pertamina signed 12 contracts in 1993, 10 contracts in 1992,
22 contracts in 1991 and 19 contracts in 1990. (fhp)