PHE Will Cut YYA-1 Platforms

PT Pertamina Hulu Energi ONWJ immediately cut the YYA-1 platform, the Yi Block Offshore North West Java Project in Karawang's north sea affected by an oil spill. PHE Director of Operation and Production Taufik Aditiyawarman said that currently, the cementing process is underway on the YYA-2 and 3. platforms. 

   For the YYA-1 well, the cementing process was completed on December 3, 2019, while in the next week the cementing of the YYA-2 and the wells will be completed. 3

"In the next week, the team will prepare the platform to be taken ashore," he said.

Taufik who is also the Commander Incident for handling oil spill events at YYA-1 Well explained that the process of cutting platforms and moving them ashore can be carried out after the situation has been declared safe by the KPLP (Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard Unit) and KSOP (Kesyahbandaran and Port Authority).

As for moving the YK PHE Pavilion, it has not yet explained the technology used, considering the total weight reaches 800 tons. Taufik admitted, currently, the largest crane capacity is only 600 tons. Although it must be dismantled, some parts of this platform may still be used.

The dismantling of the platform is needed considering that in the seabed where the bridge is located a sewer has formed due to the presence of gas bubbles that appear at the beginning of the oil burst emerging from the YYA-1 well. 

   This condition does not allow the platform to remain in the same location. Taufik said that his company had spent around the US $ 156 million by the end of 2019 as part of the prevention of oil spills in the YYA-1 well.

"Estimates to completion, until the recovery of US $ 225 million," he added.

The allocation of funds incurred can come from company expenses, insurance, or other cost reductions. Meanwhile, Taufik said PHE prepared relief wells instead of YYA-1 wells which were targeted to produce in 2021. Relief wells had previously succeeded in becoming a means of closing leaks at YYA-1 wells. Its existence and the theoretical side can be utilized to produce the remaining oil and gas reserves around the YYA well.

Relief Wells

To become a production well, PHE is conducting a study that is being done is to calculate the remaining oil and gas reserves and how much it really costs. But he ensured that if relief wells were used as production wells, the cost would not be too great. The YYA-1 well, which is certain to not be produced again once it is permanently closed. Previously, PHE will conduct project development in the YYA-2 and YYA-3 Wells.

Bisnis Indonesia , Page-24, Monday, Dec 16, 2019