Pertamina Does Not Continue Evaluating East Kalimantan Block

PT Pertamina will not continue the evaluation of the East Kalimantan Block because it will focus on the management of other termination blocks. Thus, the block off the coast of East Kalimantan will be offered to other oil and gas companies.

Upstream Director of Pertamina Syamsu Alam said the decision on the East Kalimantan Block was taken because the company wanted to focus on working on another termination block. Until now, Pertamina has signed the Mahakam block contract, replacing Total E & P Indonesie as operator starting January 1, 2018.

Mahakam block

In addition, the company also discusses contracts for seven termination blocks, namely Tuban Block, Ogan Komering, North Sumatra Offshore, Central, Sanga-Sanga, South East Surnatera (SES), and Attaka.

"We have decided not to continue. Consideration, we will focus on handling Mahakam and other termination blocks, because quite a lot, "he said in Jakarta, Wednesday (20/9)

Moreover, the possibility of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) does not approve the extension of time to evaluate the East Kalimantan Block. Previously, the company has requested an extension of time to study the block offshore of East Kalimantan due to the considerable abandonment and site restoration (ASR) burden. For the continuation of the East Kalimantan Block management, he said, is the authority of the ESDM Ministry.

"Obviously the block will be offered to investors who are interested in managing," said Alam.

Currently, East Kalimantan Block is operated by Chevron Indonesia Company which also holds 100% participation right. The block's production sharing contract (PSC) was first signed on January 11, 1991 and will end on October 24, 2018. Chevron Indonesia, since 2016, has declared no interest in continuing its contract and will be returned to the country.

Based on data from Pertamina, East Kalimantan Block has an area of ​​6,177 square kilometers. In 2015, oil and gas reserves were recorded at 213 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe). While the oil and gas production of this block is 36.5 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (kilo barrel oil equivalent per day / kboepd).

Previously, Syamsu Alam mentioned, the ASR burden is quite large and fully borne by oil and gas companies in the gross split contract. The reason, embracing the contract of this scheme, means that the burden of ASR becomes the responsibility of the investor completely. This is in contrast to cost recovery contracts, where ASR is shared with the government.

The same thing was also expressed by the Executive Director of IPA Marjolijn Wajong. According to him, oil and gas contracts signed before 1990 did not require ASR allowance. In fact, if counting the number of wells drilled for decades, the required ASR funds will be substantial. Collecting these funds to one of the companies, either contracted out or taking over the management, will be a heavy burden.

For the contractor who took over running the block out of this contract, the ASR charge is said to be able to trim the economics of the block. Meanwhile, if billed to the old contractor, no funds can be deposited considering there is no provision of funds since the beginning of the contract. Coercion billing also has the potential for dispute between government and contractors.

IN INDONESIA

Pertamina Tidak Lanjutkan Evaluasi Blok East Kalimantan

PT Pertamina tidak akan melanjutkan evaluasi Blok East Kalimantan lantaran bakal fokus pada pengelolaan blok terminasi lain. Dengan demikian, blok di lepas pantai Kalimantan Timur itu bakal ditawarkan ke perusahaan migas lain.

Direktur Hulu Pertamina Syamsu Alam mengatakan, keputusan soal Blok East Kalimantan tersebut diambil lantaran perseroan ingin fokus menggarap blok terminasi lain. Hingga kini, Pertamina telah meneken kontrak Blok Mahakam, menggantikan Total E&P Indonesie sebagai operator mulai 1 Januari 2018. 

Selain itu, perseroan juga masih membahas kontrak tujuh blok terminasi, yakni Blok Tuban, Ogan Komering, North Sumatera Offshore, Tengah, Sanga-Sanga, South East Sumatera (SES), dan Attaka.

“Sudah kami putuskan untuk tidak kami lanjutkan. Pertimbangannya, kami akan fokus menangani Mahakam dan blok terminasi lain, karena cukup banyak,” kata dia di Jakarta, Rabu (20/9)

Apalagi, kemungkinan Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) tidak menyetujui perpanjangan waktu untuk mengevaluasi Blok East Kalimantan. Sebelumnya, perseroan telah meminta perpanjangan waktu untuk mengkaji blok di lepas pantai Kalimantan Timur itu lantaran beban dana pascatambang (abandonment and site restoration/ ASR) yang cukup besar. Untuk kelanjutan pengelolaan Blok East Kalimantan, dikatakannya merupakan wewenang Kementerian ESDM.

“Tentunya blok tersebut akan ditawarkan kepada investor yang tertarik mengelola,” tutur Alam.

Saat ini, Blok East Kalimantan dioperatori oleh Chevron Indonesia Company yang sekaligus memegang hak partisipasi 100%. Kontrak kerja sama (production sharing contract/PSC) blok ini diteken pertama kali pada 11 Januari 1991 dan akan berakhir pada 24 Oktober 2018. Chevron Indonesia, sejak 2016 lalu, telah menyatakan tidak berminat melanjutkan kontraknya dan akan dikembalikan ke negara.

Berdasarkan data Pertamina, Blok East Kalimantan memiliki luas area 6.177 kilometer persegi. Pada 2015 lalu, cadangan migas ini tercatat sebesar 213 juta barel setara minyak (million barrel oil equivalent/MMboe). Sementara produksi migas blok ini yakni sebesar 36,5 ribu barel setara minyak per hari (kilo barrel oil equivalent per day/ kboepd).

Sebelumnya, Syamsu Alam menyebut, beban ASR yang cukup besar dan sepenuhnya ditanggung perusahaan migas dalam kontrak gross split. Pasalnya, menganut kontrak skema ini, berarti beban ASR menjadi tanggung jawab investor sepenuhnya. Hal ini berbeda dengan kontrak cost recovery, dimana ASR ditanggung bersama dengan pemerintah.

Hal yang sama juga sempat diungkapkan Direktur Eksekutif IPA Marjolijn Wajong. Menurutnya, kontrak migas yang diteken sebelum 1990 memang tidak mewajibkan penyisihan ASR. Padahal, jika menghitung jumlah sumur yang dibor selama berpuluh-puluh tahun, dana ASR yang diperlukan akan cukup besar. Penagihan dana ini kepada salah satu perusahaan, baik yang kontraknya habis ataupun yang mengambil alih pengelolaannya, akan menjadi beban berat.

Bagi kontraktor yang mengambil alih kelola blok habis kontrak ini, pembebanan ASR disebutnya dapat memangkas keekonomian blok tersebut. Sementara jika ditagihkan kepada kontraktor lama, tidak ada dana yang dapat disetor mengingat memang tidak ada penyisihan dana sejak awal kontrak. Pemaksaan penagihan juga berpotensi terjadinya dispute antara pemerintah dan kontraktor.

Investor Daily, Page-9, Friday, Sept 22, 2017