Pertamina to drill exploration wells in Natuna this year

PT Pertamina Hulu Energy (PHE) Director General Awang Lazuardi targets beginning exploration drilling in Natuna and other oil and gas blocks in 2026.

“Insha’Allah, please pray that we will start drilling in Natuna and other blocks this year,” Awang said during a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission XII at the Senayan Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on Monday.

Awang explained that PHE only acquired the exploration blocks in 2023. Before obtaining the exploration blocks, he added, PHE had only operated old fields.

Therefore, Awang said, Pertamina will begin exploration in frontier areas or new basins that have not been previously explored, starting in 2026.

“Please pray for the frontier exploration we will begin this year, as we only acquired the blocks two years ago. Pray that we can make a giant discovery,” Awang said.

Awang believes that a giant oil and gas discovery will be a turning point for Pertamina in boosting national oil and gas production.

On another note, Awang stressed Pertamina’s achievement in curbing production decline from an estimated 24% to 2%.

“This means we have minimised the natural decline from 24% to 2%,” Awang said.

As of April 2026, Awang reported PHE’s oil and gas production reached 945,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOEPD).

Production breakdown includes domestic oil output of 367,000 barrels per day (BOPD) and international contribution of 109,000 BOPD.

Meanwhile, gas production during the same period was recorded at 2,722 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD), comprising domestic contribution of 2,385 MMSCFD and international 337 MMSCFD.