HOT-COLD OF OIL AND GAS REGULATION

The Ministry of Energy finally revised the rules on gross splits. Oil and gas contractors protested through many doors, including asking for help from the Bimasena Forum.

     In contrast to previous meetings, Friday's forum last week looked relaxed. Interspersed with laughter, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arcandra Tahar discloses the core changes of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 08 of 2017 on Gross Split Distribution Contract.

"We got a lot of positive and negative feedback," said Arcandra to open the socialization of the revised rule at the Ministry's office

Energy, last Friday.

Arcandra mixes Indonesian with English. Some invited guests are the bosses of foreign oil and gas companies operating in Indonesia. One of them is Christina Verchere, Regional President of Asia-Pacific British Petroleum who is also the President of the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA).

The exacerbation of tension between Arcandra and representatives of oil and gas companies was not apparent at the meeting. In fact, since Ministerial Regulation No. 08 of 2017 came out earlier this year, a number of oil and gas companies incorporated in the IPA not yet comfortable with the regulation.

When opening the IPA Convention and Exhibition in May, for example, Christina Verchere said oil and gas contractors have not yet gained the knowledge of profit sharing for contractors in the new scheme. Without a favorable share, IPA considers contractors difficult to expand exploration and drilling, especially for new wells.

In the new scheme, the percentage of profit sharing that contracted 43 percent for petroleum and 48 percent for natural gas. The contractor may obtain additional revenue sharing from variable and progressive components. But the government no longer has the responsibility to reimburse the contractor's operating costs in the previous cost recovery scheme. This clause forces the smart contractor to manage the operating costs.

The peak of the debate between the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the upstream oil and gas industry occurred on Friday afternoon, August 11 last. An official at the Energy Ministry said Arcandra had the hassle of serving the oil company's representatives of gross split in a meeting initiated by Forum Bimasena at Bimasena Building, Dharmawangsa Street, South Jakarta. New Order Energy Minister, Subroto, was the founder of the association.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasiusjonan said, a few days before the meeting at Graha Bimasena, Subroto met him. Subroto has a letter. The issue: invites the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to discuss the rules of gross split.

"At that time I said, Okay, Mr. Arcandra will come '," said Jonan, last Thursday, at his office in Jakarta.

Former Pertamina President Director Ari Soemarno said the letter that Subroto brought contained the Bimasena Forum's concerns over the gross split rule. According to Ari, many oil and gas companies joined in IPA complained to the association.

"Mr. Arcandra is the ultimate presentation," Ari said at his office in Jakarta last Wednesday. Ari participated in the meeting.

IPA Executive Director Marjolijn Wajong acknowledged his association asking for help from the Bimasena Forum to discuss gross split rules with the Ministry of Energy. According to him, IPA and Forum Bimasena often help each other in many issues.

"If our level, meet not with the President, but with him in the Forum Birnasena," said Marjolijn in the office

Ministry of Energy, last Friday.

An Energy Ministry official who knew the meeting at Graha Bimasena said Ari was among the angry at Arcandra Tahar. He criticized government policies that shifted from the cost recovery regime to the gross split. Asked for confirmation about this, Jonan replied diplomatically, "Mr. Arcandra just said a lot of protesting at the time."

The official also said there was a group that wanted to maintain a cost recovery scheme. In fact, according to Jonan, one of the main reasons the government implemented the gross split scheme is that there are many holes or loopholes in the previous regime. Based on the ministry's findings, about 70 percent of contractors actually rely on the cost recovery cost of the government every year. Over the past two years, the government has spent more cost recovery than non-tax state revenues from the oil and gas sector.

"That's what I want to avoid," he said. "Yes, use the gross split."

The application of gross split also refers to the annual findings of the Supreme Audit Board. In the BPI investigative audit (in fiscal year 2015, for example, there was an indication of a "mark-up" of claims of operating costs by contractors amounting to US $ 290.34 million or equivalent to Rp 3.9 trillion.Before 2014, according to BPK, up "is still below Rp 1 trillion and consistently above Rp 3 trillion.

"Cost recovery is the people who bear," said Jonan. "These findings make a headache every year."

Ari Soemarno denied if called as one of the actors who want to return the regime of oil and gas sharing contracts to the cost recovery scheme.

"At first I did not want to talk, but forced friends," said Ari. "I just say: Why is the result of the consultant and contractor count different from the government?" But he acknowledged, in addition to the IPA, many small contractors are complaining soa ross split.

Ten days after the meeting at Graha Bimasena, it was the Energy Ministry's turn to invite IPA. Most of the oil and gas contractor bosses came. One of them is Director of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi, a subsidiary of Pertamina, which takes care of the company's upstream business. Mount Sardjono Hadi. During the meeting, said Gunung, the Ministry of Energy revealed a revised plan of gross split.

The new regulation was officially revised and signed by Minister Ignatius Jonan on Tuesday two weeks ago. Ten days later, it was Vice Minister Arcandra Tahar's turn to socialize it. Fundamental changes occur in additional revenue-sharing variable and progressive as well as the Energy Minister's discretion to increase profit sharing for contractors. The basis of the percentage of fixed profit sharing.

Previously, for production of less than 1 million barrels of oil equivalent, the contractor would only get a 5 percent revenue share. Now an additional share for contractors whose production is less than 30 million barrels of oil equivalent to 10 percent. While the previous contractor had received only 2 percent for new frontiers offshore and inland, it is now additionally for the remote field on the mainland getting an additional 4 percent.

"But not all inputs can be accommodated," said Arcandra.

For the discretionary clause, the minister can add the split without limitation until the contractor gets the economic value, which was previously a maximum of 5 percent. The Energy Ministry first gathers oil and gas contractors to discuss the gross split scheme in mid-December 2016.

In the meeting in Bali, according to Mount Sarjono Hadi, gross split became one of the four issues discussed by the Ministry.

"We were given two weeks to give input," said Mount Sardjono Hadi.

A month after that, the gross split rule was issued. A week after the publication rules, Pertamina signed a contract for the gross split for Offshore North Westjava (ONWJ) field which is valid until 18th of 2037. ONWJ and Pertamina were listed as the first field and contractor to use the revenue-sharing scheme.

"Incidentally the gross split scheme for ONWJ is good for us," said Gunung Sarjono.

Total profit sharing received by Pertamina after taking into account several variables and progressive items of 73.5 percent for oil and 81 percent for natural gas. Gunung Sarjono admits, unlike most private and foreign contractors, Pertamina's position is somewhat unique in the gross split scheme.

"We were playing on two legs," said Mount. "As a corporation, we make a profit. But, as SOEs, we also have to support government programs. "

Therefore, according to Gunung, when the contractors who are members of IPA rollicking protest gross split, Pertamina take the opposite path. Ministry of Energy is open with inputs. According to Mount, a few days after the Ministry of Energy summoned all contractors on Aug. 21 to present its revised gross split plan, Arcandra Tahar immediately phoned.

"Nung, it's okay the revision," said Mount same the phrase Arcandra at the end of the phone, late August.

Minister Jonan acknowledged there was an element of negotiation in issuing the gross split rule.

"If I give a big direct share to the contractor, blame again," he said.

According to jonan, the contractor's complaint about the small-scaled profit sharing in the gross split scheme also reached the President's ear Joko Widodo. "The President has directed not to be too small."

The ministry then recalculates the fair share of results for the contractor or the government.

"Mr. Vice Minister who leads all the calculations," said Jonan. "After the revision, the contractor's share will not be less than the revenue share they receive now."

Jonan acknowledged the revision of the gross split rule which is now published into Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 52 of 2017 was one of them due to complaints Forum Bimasena.

IN INDONESIA

PANAS-DINGIN REGULASI MIGAS

Kementerian Energi akhirnya merevisi aturan mengenai gross split. Kontraktor minyak dan gas memprotes melalui banyak pintu, termasuk meminta bantuan Forum Bimasena. 

    Berbeda dengan pertemuan sebelumnya, forum Jumat pekan lalu itu terlihat santai. Diselingi gelak tawa, Wakil Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral Arcandra Tahar membeberkan inti perubahan Peraturan Menteri ESDM Nomor 08 Tahun 2017 tentang Kontrak Bagi Hasil Gross Split. 

”Kami mendapat banyak masukan positif dan negatif,” kata Arcandra membuka sosialisasi revisi aturan tersebut di kantor Kementerian

Energi, Jumat pekan lalu.

Arcandra mencampur bahasa Indonesia dengan Inggris. Sebagian tamu undangan adalah bos perusahaan minyak dan gas bumi luar negeri yang beroperasi di Indonesia. Salah satunya Christina Verchere, Regional President Asia-Pacific British Petroleum yang juga Presiden Asosiasi Minyak Bumi Indonesia (IPA).

Bekas ketegangan antara Arcandra dan perwakilan perusahaan migas tidak tampak pada pertemuan itu. Padahal, sejak Peraturan Menteri Nomor 08 Tahun 2017 keluar pada awal tahun ini, sejumlah perusahaan migas yang tergabung dalam IPA belum sreg dengan peraturan tersebut.

Saat membuka IPA Convention and Exhibition pada Mei lalu, misalnya, Christina Verchere menyebutkan kontraktor migas belum mendapat kepasiian soal bagi hasil yang menguntungkan bagi kontraktor dalam skema baru itu. Tanpa bagian yang menguntungkan, IPA menilai kontraktor sulit memperluas eksplorasi dan pengeboran, terutama untuk sumur-sumur baru. 

Dalam skema baru itu, persentase bagi hasil yang dikantongi kontraktor sebesar 43 persen untuk minyak bumi dan 48 persen untuk gas bumi. Kontraktor bisa mendapat tambahan bagi hasil dari komponen variabel dan progresif. Namun pemerintah tidak lagi punya tanggungan untuk mengganti biaya operasi yang dikeluarkan kontraktor dalam skema cost recovery sebelumnya. Klausul inilah yang memaksa kontraktor pintar-pintar mengatur biaya operasi.

Puncak perdebatan antara Kementerian ESDM dan pelaku industri hulu migas terjadi pada Jumat siang, 11 Agustus lalu. Seorang pejabat di Kementerian Energi mengatakan Arcandra sempat kerepotan meladeni keberatan perwakilan perusahaan minyak soal gross split dalam sebuah pertemuan yang diprakarsai Forum Bimasena di Gedung Bimasena, Jalan Dharmawangsa, Jakarta Selatan. Menteri Energi era Orde Baru, Subroto, adalah pendiri perkumpulan tersebut.

Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral Ignasiusjonan mengatakan, beberapa hari sebelum pertemuan di Graha Bimasena, Subroto menemui dia. Subroto membawa seberkas surat. lsinya: mengajak Kementerian ESDM mendiskusikan aturan gross split.

”Waktu itu saya bilang, Oke, Pak Arcandra yang akan datang’,” ujar jonan, Kamis pekan lalu, di kantornya di Jakarta.

Mantan Direktur Utama Pertamina Ari Soemarno mengatakan surat yang dibawa Subroto itu berisi keprihatinan Forum Bimasena terhadap aturan gross split. Menurut Ari, banyak perusahaan migas yang tergabung dalam IPA mengadu ke perkumpulan itu. 

”Pak Arcandra yang akhirnya presentasi,” kata Ari di kantornya di Jakarta, Rabu pekan lalu. Ari ikut dalam pertemuan tersebut.

Direktur Eksekutif IPA Marjolijn Wajong mengakui asosiasinya meminta bantuan Forum Bimasena untuk membicarakan aturan gross split dengan Kementerian Energi. Menurut dia, IPA dan Forum Bimasena sering saling membantu dalam banyak isu. 

”Kalau level kami, bertemunya tidak dengan Presiden, tapi dengan beliau-beliau di Forum Birnasena,” ujar Marjolijn di kantor

Kementerian Energi, Jumat pekan lalu.

Seorang pejabat Kementerian Energi yang tahu pertemuan di Graha Bimasena itu mengatakan Ari termasuk salah satu yang marah-marah kepada Arcandra Tahar. Ia mengkritik kebijakan pemerintah yang beralih dari rezim cost recovery ke gross split. Dimintai konfirmasi soal ini, Jonan menjawab diplomatis, ”Pak Arcandra hanya bilang banyak yang memprotes saat itu.”

Pejabat tadi juga mengatakan ada kelompok yang ingin mempertahankan skema cost recovery. Padahal, menurut Jonan, salah satu alasan utama pemerintah menerapkan skema gross split adalah ada banyak lubang atau celah dalam rezim sebelumnya. Berdasarkan temuan Kementerian, sekitar 70 persen kontraktor justru menggantungkan hidupnya pada biaya cost recovery yang dikeluarkan pemerintah setiap tahun. Selama dua tahun terakhir, pemerintah mengeluarkan lebih banyak cost recovery dibanding pendapatan negara bukan pajak dari sektor migas. 

”Itu yang hendak saya hindari,” katanya. ”Ya sudah, pakai gross split saja.”

Penerapan gross split juga mengacu pada temuan tahunan Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan. Dalam audit investigasi BPI( pada tahun anggaran 2015, misalnya, ada indikasi "mark-up" klaim biaya operasi oleh kontraktor sebesar US$ 290,34 juta atau setara dengan Rp 3,9 triliun. Sebelum 2014, menurut BPK, indikasi "mark-up" masih di bawah Rp 1 triliun. Setelah itu, konsisten di atas Rp 3 triliun. 

”Cost recovery itu rakyat yang menanggung,” ujar Jonan. ”Temuan-temuan ini membikin pusing tiap tahun.”

Ari Soemarno membantah jika disebut sebagai salah satu aktor yang ingin mengembalikan rezim kontrak bagi hasil migas ke skema cost recovery. 

”Tadinya saua tidak mau bicara, tapi dipaksa teman,” tutur Ari . ”Saya hanya bilang: Mengapa Hasil hitungan konsultan dan kontraktor beda dengan pemerintah?” Tapi dia mengakui, selain IPA, banyak kontraktor kecil yang mengeluh soa ross split.

Sepuluh hari seusai pertemuan di Graha Bimasena, giliran Kementerian Energi mengundang IPA. Sebagian besar bos kontraktor migas datang. Salah satunya Direktur PT Pertamina Hulu Energi, anak usaha Pertamina yang mengurus bisnis hulu perseroan-R. Gunung Sardjono Hadi.  Dalam pertemuan itu, kata Gunung, Kementerian Energi mengungkapkan rencana revisi aturan gross split.

Peraturan baru resmi direvisi dan diteken Menteri Ignasius Jonan pada Selasa dua pekan lalu. Sepuluh hari kemudian, giliran Wakil Menteri Arcandra Tahar yang mensosialisasinya. Perubahan mendasar terjadi pada tambahan bagi hasil variabel dan progresif serta diskresi Menteri Energi untuk menambah bagi hasil buat kontraktor.  Adapun dasar persentase bagi hasil tetap.

Sebelumnya, untuk produksi kurang dari 1 juta barel ekuivalen minyak, kontraktor hanya mendapat tambahan bagi hasil 5 persen. Kini tambahan bagi hasil kontraktor yang produksinya kurang dari 30 juta barel ekuivalen minyak menjadi 10 persen. Sementara sebelumnya kontraktor hanya mendapat tambahan 2 persen untuk lapangan baru (new frontier) di lepas pantai dan daratan, kini tambahan untuk lapangan terpencil di daratan memperoleh tambahan 4 persen. 

”Tapi tidak semua masukan bisa diakomodasi,” ucap Arcandra. 

Untuk klausul diskresi, menteri bisa menambah split tanpa batasan sampai kontraktor mendapat nilai keekonomian, yang sebelumnya maksimal 5 persen. Kementerian Energi pertama kali mengumpulkan kontraktor migas untuk membahas skema gross split pada pertengahan Desember 2016. 

Dalam pertemuan di Bali itu, menurut Gunung Sarjono Hadi, gross split menjadi salah satu bahasan dari empat isu yang dibawa Kementerian. 

”Kami diberi waktu dua minggu untuk memberi masukan,” kata Gunung Sardjono Hadi. 

Sebulan setelah itu, aturan gross split diterbitkan. Sepekan setelah aturan terbit, Pertamina menandatangani kontrak bagi hasil gross split untuk lapangan Offshore North Westjava (ONWJ) yang berlaku sampai 18]anuari 2037. ONWJ dan Pertamina tercatat sebagai lapangan dan kontraktor pertama yang menggunakan skema bagi hasil itu. 

”Kebetulan skema gross split untuk ONWJ bagus buat kami,” ujar Gunung Sarjono.

Total bagi hasil yang diterima Pertamina setelah memperhitungkan beberapa variabel dan item progresif sebesar 73,5 persen untuk minyak dan 81 persen untuk gas bumi. Gunung Sarjono mengakui, berbeda dengan sebagian besar kontraktor swasta dan asing,

posisi Pertamina agak unik dalam skema gross split. 

”Kami itu bermain di dua kaki,” kata Gunung. ”Sebagai korporasi, kami mencari untung. Tapi, sebagai BUMN, kami juga harus mendukung program pemerintah.” 

Oleh karena itu menurut Gunung, ketika kontraktor yang tergabung dalam IPA beramai-ramai memprotes gross split, Pertamina mengambil jalan berlawanan. Kementerian Energi terbuka dengan berbagai masukan. Menurut Gunung, beberapa hari setelah Kementerian Energi memanggil semua kontraktor pada 21 Agustus lalu untuk memaparkan rencana revisi gross split, Arcandra Tahar langsung meneleponnya.

”Nung, sudah beres ya revisinya,” ujar Gunung menirukan kalimat Arcandra di ujung telepon, akhir Agustus lalu.

Menteri Jonan mengakui ada unsur negosiasi dalam penerbitan aturan gross split.

”Kalau saya beri bagi hasil langsung besar ke kontraktor, disalahkan lagi,” katanya. 

Menurut jonan, keluhan kontraktor soal bagi hasil yang dinilai kecil dalam skema gross split ini juga sampai ke telinga Presiden

Joko Widodo. ”Presiden mengarahkan jangan diberi terlalu kecil.”

Kementerian kemudian menghitung ulang bagi hasil yang dirasa adil bagi kontraktor ataupun pemerintah. 

”Pak Wakil Menteri yang memimpin semua perhitungan,” ujar Jonan. ”Setelah revisi, bagian kontraktor tidak akan lebih kecil dari bagi hasil yang mereka terima sekarang.” 

Jonan mengakui revisi aturan gross split yang kini terbit menjadi Peraturan Menteri ESDM Nomor 52 Tahun 2017 itu salah satunya karena keluhan Forum Bimasena.

Majalah Tempo, Page 76-78, Sept 17, 2017