Chevron Still Manages East Kalimantan Block

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) asked Chevron to maintain the East Kalimantan Block, so that production does not fall during the transition period. East Kalimantan Block will expire on October 24, 2018. While the Attaka Block whose contract has been exhausted while managed by Pertamina.

Acting Director General of Oil and Gas (Directorate General of Oil and Gas) Ministry of ESDM Ego Syahrial stated, East Kalimantan Block and Attaka Block will be combined alias diunitisasi. This is considering the distance of the two blocks are close together. The decision was also due to PT Pertamina not willing to manage the two blocks termination it.

Because Pertamina is unwilling, then the two blocks whose contract is made into one will be auctioned specifically. Currently, East Kalimantan and Attaka Block auction have reached 80%.

"The rather heavy it is preparing the data bid document," said Ego, who also serves as Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

He targets, preparation of the auction can be completed in March 2018. The government will wait for the bidding of the combined blocs for four months. So the announcement of the winner is done in August. Exactly two months before Chevron's contract in East Kalimantan runs out.

"The winner will sign the contract immediately, I expect the next August 24, 2018. So there is time for two months until the transition process," he said.

So, in the meantime East Kalimantan Block will be managed by Chevron. This decision was taken to keep East Kalimantan's production from being too impacted in this short transitional period.

"The government asks the existing contractor to maintain the performance of the two blocks," he said.

While related to the Attaka Block, although Pertamina is unwilling, the government still assigns State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as temporary operators until there are winners from the second auction of the block. For information, Inpex Corporation Japan's contract in Attaka Block has expired at the end of 2017 yesterday.

IN INDONESIA

Chevron Masih Kelola Blok East Kalimantan

Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) meminta Chevron tetap mengelola Blok East Kalimantan, agar produksi tidak turun saat masa peralihan. Blok East Kalimantan akan habis kontrak pada 24 Oktober 2018. Sedangkan Blok Attaka yang kontraknya sudah habis sementara dikelola oleh Pertamina.

Pelaksana Tugas Direktur Jenderal Migas (Dirjen Migas) Kementerian ESDM Ego Syahrial menyatakan, Blok East Kalimantan dan Blok Attaka akan digabungkan alias diunitisasi. Ini mengingat jarak kedua blok tersebut berdekatan. Keputusan itu juga karena PT Pertamina tidak bersedia mengelola kedua blok terminasi itu.

Karena Pertamina tidak bersedia, maka dua blok yang kontraknya dijadikan satu itu akan dilelang secara khusus. Saat ini persiapan lelang Blok East Kalimantan dan Attaka sudah mencapai 80%. 

"Yang agak berat itu mempersiapkan data-data bid document," kata Ego, yang juga menjabat sebagai Sekretaris Jenderal Kementerian ESDM.

Dia menargetkan, persiapan lelang tersebut bisa selesai pada bulan Maret 2018 mendatang. Pemerintah akan menunggu penawaran terhadap kedua blok yang digabung tersebut selama empat bulan. Sehingga pengumuman pemenang dilakukan bulan Agustus. Tepatnya dua bulan sebelum kontrak Chevron di East Kalimantan habis.

"Pemenangnya langsung menandatangani kontrak. Saya mengharapkan 24 Agustus 2018 mendatang. Jadi ada waktu selama dua bulan sampai proses peralihan," ujarnya.

Jadi, sementara ini Blok East Kalimantan akan tetap dikelola oleh Chevron. Keputusan ini diambil untuk menjaga produksi East Kalimantan agar tidak terlalu terdampak dalam masa peralihan yang singkat ini. 

"Pemerintah meminta kontraktor eksisting menjaga kinerja kedua blok tersebut," katanya.

Sementara terkait Blok Attaka, meski Pertamina tidak bersedia, pemerintah tetap menugaskan Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) itu sebagai operator sementara sampai ada pemenang dari lelang kedua blok itu. Sebagai informasi, kontrak Inpex Corporation Japan di Blok Attaka telah berakhir pada akhir tahun 2017 kemarin.

Kontan, Page-14, Saturday, Jan 6, 2018