The government is still evaluating PT Pertamina (Persero)'s proposal regarding the addition of profit sharing (splits) in several terminated oil and gas blocks. This is because the addition of a split is the last option as one of the upstream business incentives.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif said that the addition of a split is not the only form of incentive for the upstream oil and gas business. His party assessed that several regulations regulate various forms of incentives to facilitate this upstream oil and gas business.
"We are currently conducting an evaluation," he said.
Dwi Soetjipto, Head of the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas), expressed the same thing. His party is still discussing the proposed additional split between Pertamina and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. One of them is being studied other incentive options that can replace the addition of this split.
"We are looking for efforts so that the additional split is the last alternative. So now we are reviewing it, "he said.
Deputy for Planning of SKK Migas, Jaffee Suardin, revealed that the proposed additional split was through long discussions with his party. The reason is that this proposal was initiated by his party's efforts to seek oil and gas potential that could be developed but had not yet been included in Pertamina's long-term plan.
Furthermore, his party issued a recommendation to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. According to him, this additional split has the potential to generate oil and gas reserves for Indonesia without having to wait for exploration activities to be carried out. Not only that, but this step will also increase the economy of the oil and gas block for up to 10 years.
"What is currently being discussed can add approximately 120 million barrels of oil reserves and 1.7 trillion cubic feet of gas," said Jaffee.
He said the additional split proposal did not end only for Pertamina. His party will continue to look for oil and gas potentials in other working areas that can be developed in the future.
"The point is, the more aggressive and efficient," he added.
According to Taufik Aditiyawarman, Director of Development and Production of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), the additional split is proposed for the Mahakam Block and the Sanga-Sanga Block.
In addition, his party is still reviewing the proposed changes to the results of the East Kalimantan Block, Offshore North West Java (ONWJ), and Offshore Southeast Sumatra (OSES). The five blocks are termination blocks managed by the company. Taufik had said that if he obtained an improvement in the profit-sharing, his party was committed to increasing the production of the oil and gas block.
"Of course, with a better economy, it will maximize the monetization of the potential in the oil and gas block, increase reserves and future production," he said.
Pertamina signed the Production Sharing Contract / PSC) Sanga-Sanga Block, East Kalimantan, and the OSES Block with the Gross split scheme in 2018. Likewise, the amendment to the Mahakam Block PSC uses a cost recovery investment scheme. The ONWJ Block contract was signed in 2017.
Referring to the contract, Pertamina's profit-sharing in the Sanga-Sanga Block is set at 49% for oil and 54% for gas. Meanwhile, in the East Kalimantan-Attaka Block, the company gets 61 percent for oil and 66 percent for gas. Furthermore, Pertamina's profit-sharing in the OSES Block is set at 68.5% for oil and 73.5% for gas.
In the ONWJ Block, Pertamina previously obtained additional splits through ministerial discretion and changes to the gross split scheme. Initially, Pertamina's profit-sharing in this block was 57.5% for oil and 62.5% for gas. At the end of 2017, this revenue-sharing amount increased to 73.5% for oil and 81% for gas.
Investor Daily, Page-10, Saturday, Nov 7, 2020