PT Pertamina (Persero), through subsidiary PT Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR), expects to maintain the current production program and initiate new drilling in Indonesia’s Rokan Block now that it has officially replaced Chevron Corp. as operator.
In August 2018, Indonesia’s energy ministry said Pertamina would become operator when the production-sharing contract expired in 2021 (OGJ Online, Aug. 1, 2018).
Pertamina, in a statement Aug. 9, said it will maintain production by following through on predetermined drilling plans in August through December 2021. As many as 161 wells are in the project including 84 new wells and 77 ex-Chevron wells. An additional 500 wells are planned for 2022, the company said.
PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia had been operator with 100% interest in the Rokan production sharing contract (PSC), which expired this month. Net daily production averaged 99,000 bbl of crude oil and 19 MMcf of natural gas in 2019, according to Chevron.
Duri is the largest producing field in the Rokan PSC. Duri has been producing under steamflood since 1985 and is one of the world’s largest steamflood developments. In 2019, net daily production averaged 40,000 bbl of crude oil.
“Pertamina will continue the program that has been running so far, including Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), which has significantly supported oil and gas production. Pertamina has set an investment budget until 2025 of more than $2 billion. Considering the Rokan Block area also has unconventional potential oil and gas that can support the increase in national oil and gas production,” said Nicke Widyawati, president director of PT Pertamina (Persero).
PHR manages a working area of some 6,453 sq km with 10 main fields: Minas, Duri, Bangko, Bekasap, Balam South, Kotabatak, Farmers, Pematang, Petapahan, and Pager. The Rokan Block stretches across five regencies in Riau Province: Bengkalis, Siak, Kampar, Rokan Hulu, and Rokan Hilir. This block is Indonesia's second largest, with a 2021 oil production target of about 165,000 b/d, Pertamina said.
