Indonesia has launched its 2026 Indonesia Petroleum Bidding Round I on May 20, 2026, offering 13 oil and gas blocks with significant hydrocarbon potential across the archipelago.
Two blocks are being offered under the direct offer scheme: * Natuna D-Alpha Block, offshore Natuna, with estimated resources of 2.8 billion barrels of oil in place. * Sapukala Block, offshore Makassar Strait, with estimated resources of 2.3 trillion standard cubic feet (TSCF) of gas in place.
Meanwhile, 11 blocks are available through the regular tender scheme: * Rupat Block, spanning offshore and onshore Riau and offshore North Sumatra, with estimated resources of 1.11 billion barrels of oil in place. * Puri Block, onshore Riau, with estimated resources of 1.11 billion barrels of oil in place. * Pesut Mahakam Block, onshore East Kalimantan, with estimated resources of 1.336 billion barrels of oil (MMBO). * Bengara II Block, onshore and offshore North Kalimantan, with estimated resources of 1.057 billion barrels of oil. * Maratua II Block, onshore and offshore North Kalimantan, with estimated resources of 3.279 billion barrels of oil. * Namori Block, offshore East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), with an enormous estimated potential of 17 billion barrels of oil or 38 TSCF of gas in place. * South Tanimbar Block, offshore Arafura Sea, with estimated gas resources of 5.6 TCF. * Cerera Block, offshore Papua, with estimated resources of 1.5 billion barrels of oil and 1.3 TCF of gas in place. * Areca Bruni Block, offshore and onshore Northwest Papua, with estimated resources of 3 billion barrels of oil in place. * Rombebai Block, offshore and onshore Papua, with estimated resources of 15 TCF of gas in place. * Jayapura Block, onshore Papua, with estimated resources of 19.4 TCF of gas in place.
At the same time, the Indonesian government also announced the winners of three blocks offered in the previous bidding round: * Akimeugah II Block — awarded to PT Dongfang Exploration Oil Indonesia. * Arwana III Block — awarded to PT Prime Natuna Eksploitasi dan Produksi. * Tuah Tanah Block — awarded to PT Guna Tesuma Internasional.
This latest petroleum bidding round comes as Indonesia marks 157 years of oil and gas exploration and production, a history that began in 1869.
This article is posted by Jamin Djuang – Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training.
Drilling in East Kalimantan – Photo by Rick Patenaude.
Eni Indonesia has achieved exploration success in the Mahakam deepwater area of Indonesia and is now moving forward with plans to develop the discovered resources.
Eni’s Exploration Deepwater Drilling Success in Indonesia
Eni Indonesia has just made another big gas discovery at the Geliga-1 exploration well in East Kalimantan.
The Geliga-1 exploration well in the Ganal Block, offshore East Kalimantan, has revealed an estimated 5 TCF of gas and 300 million barrels of condensate. The block is operated by Eni, which holds an 82% stake, while Sinopec holds the remaining 18%.
Drilled to a depth of about 5,100 meters in 2,000 meters of water, the Geliga well adds to Eni’s strong track record in the Kutai Basin. It follows earlier major discoveries at Geng North (2023) and Konta-1 (2025), reinforcing the basin’s significant gas potential and resource stability. Read the reservoir characteristics of these deepwater gas wells in the Kutai Basin.
The North Hub and South Hub Development
Global energy company Eni is advancing the development of the North Hub and South Hub gas projects.
It has approved the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Gendalo–Gandang (South Hub) and Geng North–Gehem (North Hub) offshore gas projects in East Kalimantan, just 18 months after POD approval in 2024—highlighting rapid progress in Indonesia’s deepwater sector.
With over US$15 billion in investment, the projects will use existing infrastructure, including the Jangkrik FPU and Bontang LNG Train F, to reduce costs and speed up gas commercialization.
The Gendalo–Gandang development will involve 7 wells at depths of 1,000–1,800 meters tied to Jangkrik.
To develop the Geng North-Gehem, the company will drill 16 wells at 1,700–2,000 meters, feeding a new FPSO with a capacity of over 1 BCFD of gas and 90,000 BPD of condensate.
Combined resources are estimated at 10 TCF of gas and 550 million barrels of condensate. Production is expected to begin in 2028, peaking in 2029 at around 2 BSCFD of gas and 90,000 BPD of condensate.
Eni has operated in Indonesia since 2001 and is a major producer in the Kutai Basin, now a key gas hub in the Makassar Strait.
This post is adapted by Jamin Djuang from information provided by SKK Migas.
The Bekapai field underwent Phase 2B Expansion. Photo from Pertamina.
THE DISCOVERY
In 2022, the Bekapai oil field, located offshore of the Mahakam Delta in East Kalimantan in Indonesia, celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The Bekapai field was discovered in April 1972 by Total along with its partner, Japex.
The field was almost undiscovered had Total’s exploration team given up its exploration drilling campaign after drilling six dry wells.
With the discovery of the Bekapai field, Total Indonesie went on to discover many big oil and gas fields in the Mahakam block – Tunu, Sisi-Nubi, Tambora, Handil, and Peciko.
Although the Bekapai is not as big as the other fields in the Mahakam block, the Bekapai field is the most well-known field in the Mahakam block being the first oil field that was discovered by Total Indonesie in East Kalimantan. A nice park in Balikpapan is named after Bekapai – Bekapai Park.
FIELD DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION
The reservoirs of the Bekapai field are described as complex multi-layered reservoirs.
Total Indonesie constructed ten platforms and drilled 74 development wells between 1974 and 1996.
The Bekapai field began as an oil field. Oil production started in 1974 with peak production at around 60,000 BOPD in 1978. Then its oil production declined slowly until it reached around 1,000 BOPD in 2007.
As its oil production reached its lowest level, to rejuvenate its oil and gas production the field underwent several redevelopment and transformation projects.
FIELD EXPANSION AND TRANSFORMATION
Phase 1 Expansion
Total Indonesie initiated the Phase 1 field expansion project in 2008. The company drilled 9 development wells and production increased to 10,000 BOPD and 46 MMSCFD of gas by 2013.
With the success achieved in Phase 1 Expansion, the company conducted a 3D seismic survey to assess the potential of the Bekapai field for further development.
Phase 2A Expansion
Based on the encouraging seismic results, the company embarked on the Phase 2A expansion project to further develop the Bekapai Field.
The company drilled two development wells in 2014 and its oil production increased to 11,500 BOPD. This is a record oil production rate of the Bekapai field in its first 25 years of production.
Phase 2B Expansion
As the oil reserves of the Bekapai are depleted, Total’s engineers turn their attention to producing its gas.
The objective of Phase 2B Expansion is to produce the so-far untapped gas accumulation in the Bekapai reservoirs. The plan is to increase the capacity of the field to produce 100 MMSCFD of gas.
Here were what was involved in the Phase 2B Expansion Project.
Produced the gas remaining in the gas caps.
Increased the capacity of the offshore production facilities to produce 100 MMSCFD of gas.
Platform modifications
Constructing a 12,6 km long submarine 12-inch pipeline from the Bekapai field to the Peciko field.
Phase 2B Expansion transformed the Bekapai field from an oil field to a gas field. The project increased the gas production of the Bekapai field from around 40 MMSCFD to 92 MMSCFD in 2015, making it a significant gas contributor to LNG production.
Phase 3 Expansion
Pertamina Hulu Mahakam as the new operator continues to further tap the gas potentials of the Bekapai field under the Phase 3 Expansion.
This ongoing expansion project involves modifying the manifold wellhead platforms BH and BE to accommodate 5 new development wells.
This project is expected to produce an additional 27 MMSCFD of gas when it is completed in November 2022.
POSTLUDE
On January 2, 2018, Pertamina Hulu Mahakam became the operator of the Bekapai field and all the fields in the Mahakam block.
Pertamina Hulu Mahakam maintains the spirit of innovation and continues to develop the remaining potential of the 50-year-old oil field.
Pertamina Hulu Mahakam managed to reach ten years without LTI (Lost Time Injury) on August 27, 2021.
And finally, with the saying “An old oil field never dies”, may the Bekapai field continues to find a new life.
Sail away from Bintan to East Kalimantan of two topsides for North Sisi and North Nubi fields of Pertamina Hulu Mahakam on 4 November 2021.
Oil and gas operators in Indonesia are investing USD 1.35 billion to expand and further develop their existing fields to increase their oil and gas production in 2022.
Here are the 12 oil and gas field expansion and development projects earmarked by SKK Migas to produce additional 19,000 barrels per day of oil and 567 MMSCFD of gas in Indonesia in 2022.
Bukit Tua Phase 2B Development At Offshore East Java
Operator: Petronas Carigali Ketapang II Ltd
Production Target: 14000 BOPD and 30 MMSCFD
Scope of work: Installation of Platform BTJT-B and drilling of development wells.
Completion date: 12 April 2022 (Completed)
Investment: US$ 117 million
Hiu Gas Field Phase 2 development at Block B Natuna
Operator: Medco E&P Natuna
Scope of work: Drilling two development wells Hiu A05 and Hiu A06
Target of production: 49 MMSCFD of gas
Investment: 45 million USD
Expected date of completion: May 2022
Jumelai Field Development in East Kalimantan
Operator: Pertamina Hulu Mahakam
Scope of work: Installation of platform JML1 and drilling of development wells
Production target: 45 MMSCFD of gas
Completion date: May 2022
Investment: US$ 65 million
Baru Gas Plant Modification in Riau
Operator: Energi Mega Persada (EMP Bentu)
Scope of work: Gas plant modification and suppling 30 MMSCFD of gas to Tenayan power plant of PLN
Expected date of completion: May 2022
Investment: 13.5 million USD
South Sembakung Production Facility Expansion in East Kalimantan
Operator: JOB PMEPS – Joint Operation Body of Pertamina and Medco EP Simenggaris
Target of production increase: 30 MMSCFD of gas
Expected completion date: June 2022
Investment: 9,2 million USD
Development of MDA and MBH fields at offshore Madura
Operator: Husky CNOOC Madura Ltd (HCML)
Scope of work: Drilling of 5 wells at MDA field and 2 wells at MBH field to supply gas to the East Java Gas Pipeline.
Target of production increase: A total of 175 MMscfd of gas from MBH in May 2022 and MDA in July 2022.
Total investment: 625 Million USD
Belida Gas Field Extension at Block B Natuna
Operator: Medco E&P Natuna
Target of production: 40 MMSCFD of gas
Investment: 78 Million USD
Expected date of completion: August 2022
Tanjung Field Polymer Flood
Operator: Pertamina EP in South Kalimantan
Scope of work: Full-scale polymer flooding
Target: Increasing oil production and oil recovery factor
Expected date of completion: September 2022
Investment: 19 million USD
MAC Field Development in Offshore Madura
Operator: Husky CNOOC Madura Ltd (HCML)
Scope of work: Installation of a platform and pipelines, and drilling of development wells
Target of production: 60 MMSCFD of gas
Expected date of completion: October 2022
Investment: 163 Million USD
North Sisi and North Nubi Development in East Kalimantan
Operator: Pertamina Hulu Mahakam
Scope of work: Installation of Platform WPS3 at North Sisi and Platform WPN4 at North Nubi, and drilling of development wells.
Production Target: A total of 90 MMSCFD
Expected Completion date: Second half of 2022
Investment: US$ 133 million
Bekapai Field Phase 3 Expansion
Operator: Pertamina Hulu Mahakam
Scope of work: Modification of Manifold Wellhead Platform BH and BE to accommodate 5 new development wells.
Production target: 27 MMscfd
Completion date: November 2022
Investment: US$ 28 million
YY Field Redevelopment at Offshore North West Java
Operator: Pertamina Hulu Energi ONWJ
Project scope: Relocating the wellhead platform due to the blowout of well YYA-1 in 2019
Target of production increase: 2000 BOPD and 1 MMSCFD of gas
Date of Completion: December 2022
Investment: 56.4 Million USD
This article is curated by Jamin Djuang, Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training, based on information provided by SKK Migas and other sources.
Data science is using analysis of past and current data to predict future performance or results.
Oil and gas companies collect a huge amount of data in their exploration, drilling, and production activities. They have huge volumes of unused and undervalued data.
With the advances in data science and machine learning, oil companies have begun to realize the value of the data they have been collecting.
They now realise that managing this data and using it as a strategic asset can significantly impact its operational success, increase safety and reduce operational cost.
For example, in exploration, seismic data and geological data, such as rock types in nearby wells, can be used to predict oil pockets.
In production, production data can be used to forecast future production capacity, schedule production, and determine the number of future wells to be drilled.
In drilling, engineers can use drilling data to determine the best drilling locations, reduce costs, improve safety and shorten the drilling time.
Here are several articles by Yohanes Nuwara on the applications of data science and machine learning in oil and gas operations.
A successful DST Test in East Kalimantan, Indonesia – Photo courtesy of Rick Patenaude
Drill-stem testing (DST) in exploration wells is the last step of oil and gas exploration. It is the moment of truth in the quest for the elusive oil and gas.
Witnessing a drill-stem test can be daunting as the company has invested a lot of time and money to find a new oil or gas field. As DST results can move the company’s share prices, during the test, the test results can only be communicated to a few people back in the company headquarters.
I have witnessed both successful DST and unsuccessful DST.
Here are the five moments of truth of a DST in exploration wells.
The first moment of truth is after the DST valve is open, you begin to see air bubbles showing up in a bucket of water that is placed on the rig floor. As the air bubbles become stronger, you know something is coming out from the test interval.
The second moment of truth is when you see the fire at the burner. When you see the flare, it confirms you have found hydrocarbon.
The third moment of truth is when we know the flow rates of the hydrocarbon fluids that come out from the well.
The fourth moment of truth is after you have measured the initial bottomhole shut-in pressure and the final shut-in bottomhole pressure. Reservoir engineers will love these two pressures to be about the same. If the final BHSI pressure is much lower than the initial BHSI pressure, it may indicate the reservoir is quite small.
The fifth moment of truth is when you know the fluid composition when you receive the fluid analysis report from the laboratory. This last moment of truth may kill all the prior excitements during a DST.
Here is to illustrate the significance and implications of the composition of the reservoir fluid.
In 1973, AGIP discovered the huge East Natuna gas field off northern Natuna Island of Indonesia. However, as the gas contains a very large percentage of CO2 – 71% – the huge gas field is still undeveloped today.
Finally, perhaps the best moment of truth in a DST is when a difficult and high-risk test, such as testing a high pressure or high H2S well, is completed successfully and safely, and the people involved in the test can leave the rig with a sense of accomplishment.
A jetty at Balikpapan Refinery – Photo shared by Zaldi Ansyah
In the efforts to increase the oil production of Indonesia, the government has identified 34 oil fields as candidates having potentials for enhanced oil recovery.
Here are the fields and their locations:
Rantau field – Aceh
Bangko field – Rokan Block
Bekasap field – Rokan Block
Kulim field – Rokan Block
Balam South field – Rokan Block
Petani field – Rokan Block
Pematang field – Rokan block
Zamrud field – Coastal Plain and Pekanbaru (CPP) block
Beruk field – CPP block
Pedada field – CPP block
Pusak field – CPP block
Sago field – Pertamina EP Asset 1 Jambi
Ramba field – Pertamina EP Asset 1 Jambi
Limau Q51 field – Pertamina EP Asset 2 South Sumatera – Limau
Jirak field – Pertamina EP Asset 2 South Sumatera – Limau
Belida field – Natuna D Alpha block
Melibur field – Siak, Riau
Gemah field – Jambi, South Sumatera
Makmur field – Jambi, South Sumatera
Kaji field – Rimau block
Semoga field – Rimau block
Iliran High field – Rimau block
Rama field – South East Sumatera (SES) block
Krisna field – SES block
Widuri field – SES block
E-main field – Offshore North West Java (ONWJ)
Zulu field – ONWJ
MQ field – ONWJ
Jatibarang field – Pertamina EP Asset 3 in West Java
Mudi field – Pertamina EP Asset 4 in East Java
Sukowati field – Pertamina EP Asset 4 in East Java
Tanjung field – Pertamina EP Asset 5 in Kalimantan
There is a saying that before you can lead others, you must first lead yourself. In other words, it is not possible to lead others if you cannot lead yourself.
Do you know how strong is your self-leadership?
Here is a quick and simple self-test to assess your self-leadership strengths and discover your weaknesses and opportunities for self-improvement.
Circle YES if you possess and demonstrate the following self-leadership qualities according to McKinsey and Company.
ON SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-MANAGEMENT
Understanding own emotions and triggers. Yes / No
Self-control and regulation. Yes / No
Understanding own strengths. Yes / No
Integrity. Yes / No
Self-motivation and wellness. Yes / No
Self-confidence. Yes / No
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Courage and risk-taking. Yes / No
Driving change and innovation. Yes / No
Energy, passion, and optimism. Yes / No
Breaking orthodoxies. Yes / No
ON GOALS ACHIEVEMENT
Ownership and decisiveness. Yes / No
Achievement orientation. Yes / No
Grit and persistence. Yes / No
Coping with uncertainty. Yes / No
Self-development. Yes / No
SCORING AND ASSESSMENT
Count the number of YES that you circle.
If your score is high, congratulations! It means you have many of the qualities of strong self-leadership and good self-management.
If your score is not high, you can improve your self-leadership by knowing the qualities you are lacking and embracing the right values that will enhance your self-leadership and self-discipline.
Here are inspiring quotes from Oprah Winfrey.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.”
Finally, to be a leader, you must have integrity. All your efforts will go to nothing if you don’t have it.
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
The Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant – The first geothermal power plant in Japan. Photo courtesy of Dr. Roland N. Horne
The utilization of geothermal resources to produce electricity has been increasing since the invention of the first geothermal energy generator by Piero Ginori Conti in Italy in 1904.
By 2024, there are more than one hundred geothermal power plants located around the world producing electricity with a total installed capacity of 16873 MW.
Want to know when and where the first geothermal power plants were set up around the world?
Here are the first geothermal power plants built in significant geothermal energy-producing countries.
THE LARDERELLO PLANT – ITALY – 1904
The first and the oldest geothermal power plant in the world is in Larderello in Tuscany, Italy. The Larderello plant is celebrating 120 years in producing geothermal energy.
Following the invention of the first geothermal energy generator by Piero Ginori Conti in 1904, the Larderello 1 geothermal power plant was completed in 1913 with a capacity of 250 kW.
The Enel group acquired Tuscany’s geothermal areas in 1962 and now operates 34 geothermal plants with a total capacity of 800 MW, supplying 34% of the electricity needs of the region.
By the way, the Larderello steam field is so awesome that it is referred to as Valle del Diavolo – Devil’s Valley.
Today, Italy has a total installed capacity of 916 MW making it the eight-largest geothermal energy producer in the world.
WAIRAKEI PLANT – NEW ZEALAND – 1958
New Zealand is the second country in the world that built a geothermal power plant.
The first geothermal plant in New Zealand, the Wairakei Unit 1 station was completed in 1958 with a capacity of 11.2 MW. The Wairakei geothermal plant is located at North Taupo.
Today, the Wairakei geothermal power plant has a total combined capacity of 330 MW provided by Wairakei power stations 1 to 16, Te Mihi power stations 1 and 2 and Poihipi power station.
The number of geothermal power plants in New Zealand has grown to 15 producing 1037 MW of electricity making it the fifth-largest geothermal producing country in the world.
THE GEYSERS UNIT 1 PLANT – USA – 1960
The first geothermal power plant in the US is located at the Geysers. The Unit 1 plant was completed in 1960 with a capacity of 11 MW.
The Geysers geothermal field in California is the most prolific geothermal producing field in the US also in the world. It now has 18 geothermal power plants and a total installed capacity of 1590 MW.
Today the US with more than 69 geothermal power plants located in various states has a total installed capacity of 3794 MW. This makes the US the biggest geothermal energy producer in the world.
MATSUKAWA PLANT – JAPAN – 1966
The first geothermal power generation plant in Japan is the Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant (Matsukawa Jinetsu Hatsudensho).
The plant started operating in 1966 with an initial capacity of 9.5 MW. It now has an installed capacity of 23.5 MW.
Today, Japan is the tenth largest geothermal-producing country in the world with a total installed capacity of 621 MW. Japan has the highest density of geothermal power plants. According to the Geothermal Research Society of Japan, there are 19 geothermal power plants in Japan with capacities of greater than 1 MW, and many small plants with capacities ranging from 20 KW to 250 KW.
BJARNARFLAG PLANT – ICELAND – 1966
Bjarnarflag geothermal station is the oldest geothermal power plant in Iceland. Bjarnarflag was completed in 1966 having a capacity of 3 MW.
Following the success of the Bjarnarflag plant, several other power plants were built in Iceland.
Iceland, the land of ice and fire, is a natural place to tap its geothermal resources for energy. The country today produces 754 MW of electricity from its geothermal resources making it the ninth-largest geothermal producer in the world.
As 99.96% of its energy needs come from renewable resources, it is probably the greenest country in the world.
CERRO PRIETO PLANT – MEXICO – 1973
The first geothermal power plant in Mexico, Cerro Prieto 1 was commissioned in April 1973.
The Cerro Prieto field is the world’s largest known water-dominated geothermal field. It has five power stations with a total installed capacity of 820 MW.
Today, Mexico, generating 963 MW of electricity is the sixth-largest geothermal energy producer in the world.
KIZILDERE PLANT – TURKEY – 1974
The first geothermal power plant in Turkey is in Kizildere.
The Kizildere geothermal power plant began its operation in 1974 as a prototype system with a 500 KW capacity.
Ten years later, the Kızıldere Jeotermal Elektrik Santralı plant was commissioned in 1984 with an installed capacity of 17.4 MW.
In 2013, the Kizildere Geothermal Power Plant reached an installed capacity of 95 MW making it Turkey’s biggest.
Today, with a total of 1710 MW capacity, Turkey is the fourth largest geothermal energy producer in the world.
AHUACHAPAN PLANT – EL SALVADOR – 1975
The Ahuachapán plant, completed in 1975, is the first geothermal power plant in El Salvador.
The journey of geothermal development in El Salvador began with exploration in 1955 for its geothermal potential, followed by the drilling of its first geothermal well in 1968.
The country’s first 30 MW Unit 1 Ahuachapán geothermal power plant was subsequently completed in 1975.
Two more power stations were later added – 30 MW Unit 2 in 1976 and 35 MW Unit 3 in 1981 – giving the Ahuachapán power plant a total installed capacity of 95 MW.
The Ahuacapan plant is served by 21 steam production wells and 9 reinjection wells.
Today El Salvador has two geothermal plants, the 95 MW Ahuachapan plant and the 104 MW Berlin plant giving the country a total installed geothermal capacity of 204 MW.
These two power plants generate 21% of the electricity in El Salvador. El Salvador is one of the countries having the highest percentage of electricity generated from geothermal resources.
The contribution of electricity from geothermal resources is set to increase in the future as the country is endowed with significant geothermal potential.
LEYTE PLANT – THE PHILLIPPINES – 1977
The first geothermal power plant in the Philippines, the Leyte Geothermal Power Plant began operation in 1977.
Located on the island of Leyte, the plant started as a pilot plant using a portable 3 MW power generation unit connected to a wellhead.
With the success of the pilot plant, Leyte Island now has five geothermal power plants.
Other geothermal plants in the Philippines are in the islands of Luzon, Mindanao, and Negros.
Today the Philippines with a total installed capacity of 1935 MW is the third largest geothermal energy producer in the world. Its geothermal power generates 11% of the country’s electricity.
YANGBAJAIN PLANT – TIBET – 1977
Yangbajain is the first geothermal power plant in Tibet, China. The plant was initially completed in 1977. It now has an installed capacity of 24 MW.
The Yangbajain plant is located at an elevation of 4800 meters above sea level making it the highest geothermal plant in the world.
OLKARIA I POWER STATION – KENYA – 1981
Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station is the first geothermal power plant in Kenya and Africa. The first unit having a capacity of 15 MW was commissioned in 1981.
Over the years, under the management of KenGen – Kenya Electricity Generating Company – the Olkaria I geothermal power generation units has grown to six, with the latest additional unit, the 70 MW Olkaria I AU 6 completed in 2022.
Today, with a total installed capacity of 944 MW Kenya is the eighth largest geothermal energy producer in the world. Its geothermal power contributes an amazing 66% of the country’s electricity.
KAMOJANG PLANT – INDONESIA – 1982
Operating since 1982, the 235 MW Kamojang geothermal plant is the first geothermal power plant in Indonesia. It is located in the Garut area in West Java.
The Kamojang geothermal reservoir was first discovered by the Dutch more than one hundred years ago when it successfully drilled the first steam-producing well in Indonesia.
Today Indonesia has a total installed capacity of 2356 MW making it the second-largest geothermal energy producer in the world.
MOMOTOMBO PLANT – NICARAGUA – 1983
The Momotombo plant is the first geothermal power plant in Nicaragua.
Its first power generating unit of 35 MW was completed in 1983. A second 35 MW unit was later added in 1989 bringing the total capacity to 70 MW.
Nicaragua’s second geothermal plant is the San Jacinto Tizate which was completed in 2013 with an installed capacity of 72 MW.
BOUILLANTE PLANT – THE CARIBBEAN – 1986
The first geothermal power plant in the Caribbean is the Bouillante plant.
The 5 MW Bouillante Unit 1 was commissioned in 1986, and the 10 MW Bouillante Unit 2 was completed in 2004.
Currently the 15 MW Bouillante plant is managed by Ormat. The company has plan to increase the geothermal power generation capacity in the Caribbean to 35 MW.
MIRAVALLES PLANT – COSTA RICA – 1994
The first geothermal power plant in Costa is the 55 MW Miravalles plant commissioned in 1994.
Today with a total installed capacity of 207 MW, Costa Rica is the twelfth largest geothermal producer in the world.
ORTITLAN PLANT – GUATEMALA – 1998
The first geothermal power generation unit in Guatemala was built in Amatitlán geothermal area in 1998. It started as a portable power plant of 5 MW.
A full-scale 20 MW geothermal power plant, the Ortitlan, was later built in the Amatitlan area in 2008.
Guatemala’s second geothermal plant, the Orzunil, located in the Zunil geothermal area was completed with a capacity of 24 MW in 2001.
CERRO PABELLON PLANT – CHILE – 2017
The first geothermal power plant in Chile was built in 2017 by Geotermica del Norte (GDN), a joint venture between Enel Green Power Chile and ENAP.
Located at 4500 meters above sea level, the Cerro Pabellón is the highest geothermal plant in South America. It is located on the high plateau of the Atacama Desert in the Antofagasta Region of Chile.
The plant, which uses high enthalpy technology with a binary cycle, is the only operational geothermal plant in South America.
Its third power station with a capacity of 33 MW was completed in 2021 giving Cerro Pabellon a total power of 81 MW.
PLATANARES PLANT – HONDURAS – 2018
The first geothermal power plant of Honduras, the 35 MW Platanares geothermal plant was inaugurated in 2018.
CASANARE PLANT – COLOMBIA – 2021
Colombia inaugurated its first geothermal power unit located in Casanare in March 2021.
The first of its kind, this innovative 100 KW power unit takes advantage of the hot water produced along with the oil from the Las Maracas field.
YANGBAJAIN PLANT – TIBET – 1977
Yangbajain is the first geothermal power plant in Tibet, China. The plant was initially completed in 1977. It now has an installed capacity of 24 MW.
The Yangbajain plant is located at an elevation of 4800 meters above sea level making it the highest geothermal plant in the world.
QINGSHUI PLANT – TAIWAN – 2021
The Qingshui geothermal power plant is the first privately run commercial-scale geothermal power plant in Taiwan. With an installed capacity of 4.2 MWe, the plant is owned jointly by Fabulous Power Co and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp under build-operate transfer and rehabilitate-operate-transfer models with equipment from Ormat Technologies.
The Qingshui geothermal power plant started to operate in October 2021 and was officially inaugurated in November 2021.
Located in Yilan County, Taiwan, the reservoir temperature is around 180 degrees Celsius at a depth of 1,200 to 2,100 meters.
Its current 38 million kWh power output is enough to meet the demand of about 75% of the 10,000 households of the combined Datong and neighboring Sanshing townships.
Taiwan added the new 840 KW Renze geothermal power plant in 2023. Also Located in Yilan County, the power plant is operated by Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), a state-owned electricity company. The plant will produce 4.7 million kWh of electricity per year.
Taiwan government has a target of having a total of 20 MW of installed geothermal power generation capacity by 2025.
Aluto Langano – Ethiopia -2024
Ethiopia expects to have its first geothermal plant, the 35 MW Aluto Langano plant, in September 2024.
The Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), the plant operator said the company has drilled 10 wells and tested 6 of them. The tests have confirmed a production capacity of 25 MW of power so far. EEP plans to drill four more wells.
When the plant is completed, the 35 MW phase 1 Aluto Langano plant will be the first geothermal plant in Ethiopia.
EPILOGUE
The world is endowed with huge geothermal resources. As the world marches toward net zero-emission, we shall see the application of geothermal energy as a renewable resource to generate the electricity we need will continue to expand.
This article is written by Jamin Djuang – Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training – based on information from various sources.
SSV Catarina drilled 5 Merakes development wells and the successful Maha-2 exploration well in ENI’s West Ganal block. Photo courtesy of Akhmad Syafrial.
The upstream oil and gas operators in Indonesia contributed 6.67 billion USD of revenue for the government of Indonesia in the first half of 2021. This amount is 91.7% of the full-year Indonesian government revenue target from E&P activities in 2021.
Mr. Dwi Soetjipto, the head of SKK Migas, is thankful that the 2021 first-half revenue contribution was better than expected in a meet-the-press event on 16 July 2021.
Here are the results from the oil and gas exploration and production activities in Indonesia in the first half of 2021 according to SKK Migas.
Oil Lifting Costs
The oil industry managed to lower the oil and gas production cost in 2021. The average production cost in the first half of this year is USD 12.17 per BOE (barrel of oil equivalent) whereas it was USD 13.71 per BOE in the same period last year.
Oil and Gas Production
The average oil production in the first half of 2021 is 667,000 BOPD. This is below the 705,000 BOPD target set by the government for 2021.
The average gas production is 5430 MMSCFD in the first six months of 2021. This is below the 5638 MMSCFD targets of the government for 2021.
To make up for the shortfall of oil and gas production, SKK Migas is asking the oil operators to speed up their work programs.
The average combined oil and gas production in the first half of 2021 is 1.64 million BOEPD.
Proposed Incentives
To stimulate oil and gas exploration and production in Indonesia, SKK Migas is pushing for government approval on several incentives.
The three incentives that are currently being proposed are:
Providing a certain type of tax holiday to all oil and gas operators
Reducing the processing fees charged by the Badak LNG plant to US$0.22 per MMBTU.
Lowering tax paid by companies who provide certain types of goods and services to oil companies.
Completed Oil and Gas Projects in Indonesia
Seven upstream oil and gas projects out of the 12 targeted for 2021 have been completed in the first half of this year, according to SKK Migas.
These 1.46 billion USD projects contributed 9850 BOPD of new oil and 475 MMSCFD of gas.
Here are the 7 completed projects: 1. First phase production from Belato-2 oil field by Seleraya Merangin Dua in South Sumatera
2. EOR in Jirak Field by Pertamina EP in South Sumatera
3. Development of KLD gas field by Pertamina Hulu Energi ONWJ
4. Gas Supply to the Balikpapan refinery from Bontang by Pertamina Hulu Mahakam
5. West Pangkah field development by Saka Indonesia Pangkah Ltd
6. Merakes gas field development in East Sepinggan block by ENI
7. Gas supply from South Jambi B block to PLN Jambi by Jindi South Jambi B.
The Jambaran Tiung Biru Project
SKK Migas is working closely with Pertamina EP Cepu on the development of the significant Jambaran Tiung Biru project. This gas field development project in East Java is categorized as a national strategic project.
The Jambaran Tiung Biru project is more than 90% complete and gas production is expected to come on stream in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Plans of Field Development
SKK Migas approved 14 plans of field development (POD) that will potentially increase the oil and gas reserves by 131.2 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).
Exploration Drilling and Discoveries
Oil operators completed seven exploration wells with the following results:
Gas discovery in two wells: Maha-02 and Fanny-02
Oil discovery in two wells: Hidayah-01 and MSDE-01A
Three dry wells: Barakuda-1x, NSD-1 ExpTail and Plajawan Dalam.
The P50 reserves from Well Hidayah-01 are 87 MMBOE. The P50 combined reserves from wells Maha-02, Fanny-02, and MSDE-01A are 154 MMBOE.
P50 reserves are oil and gas reserves that have a 50% or greater probability of being recovered from a petroleum asset.
Drilling, Workovers, and Seismic Survey Activities
Number of development wells drilled – 186
Number of exploration wells drilled – 13
Number of workovers – 309
Number of well services – 11307
2D seismic survey completed – 1917 Km
3D seismic survey completed – 673 Km2
This article is adapted by Jamin Djuang based on the information provided by SKK Migas. He is the Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training.
Welcome sign board at Caltex Rumbai camp entrance. Photo by Sasmito Adibowo.
After 97 years in Indonesia and producing more than 12 billion barrels of oil from the jungle in central Sumatera, Chevron Pacific Indonesia finally hands over its vast operation in the Rokan block to Pertamina Hulu Rokan on 8th August 2021.
The amazing story of Chevron Pacific Indonesia began in 1924 when Standard Oil of California (Socal), sent its exploration team to Indonesia to assess the oil potential in the basin in central Sumatera.
After the initial exploration expedition, Standard Oil of California set up the Dutch registered company, NV Nederlandsche Pacific Petroleum Maatschappij (NPPM), in June 1930 so it could conduct business in Indonesia, which was under the control of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) at that time.
In 1936 NPPM became CALTEX when Socal and Texaco (Texas Oil Company) jointly formed a company called California Texas Petroleum Corporation to expand their operation in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
For most of the history of Chevron Pacific Indonesia, the company was known as Caltex or CPI (Caltex Pacific Indonesia). For this reason, the name Caltex or CPI is used frequently in this article to describe the activities and achievements of Chevron Pacific Indonesia.
The achievements of Caltex in Indonesia are awesome. Here are some of them:
It discovered two giant oil fields in Central Sumatera – The Duri and the Minas field.
It also discovered more than 100 oil and gas fields in the Rokan block and several other blocks.
It is the longest surviving oil company that began its operation in Indonesia as a Dutch company.
It is the biggest oil producer in Indonesia of all time. It produced more than 12 billion barrels of oil in Sumatera and its daily production reached 1000,000 BOPD at its peak.
It operated the famous and successful Duri steam flood.
Rokan block is the largest oil concession block in Indonesia.
It drilled a total of 16023 wells in the four blocks it operated: The Rokan block, the CPP block (Coastal Plain Pekanbaru), the Siak block and the MFK block (Mountain Front Kuantan).
MILESTONES OF CHEVRON PACIFIC INDONESIA
As the 8th of August 2021 marks the end of Chevron Pacific Indonesia, here are the key milestones of Caltex Pacific Indonesia’s operations in Indonesia.
1924
Standard Oil of California sent a team of geologists to Indonesia in March 1924 to survey the oil potential in Central Sumatera.
1930
Chevron registered the company Nederlandsche Pacific Petroleum Maatschappij (NPPM) in 1930 so it could operate in Indonesia which was under the rule of the Netherlands East Indies.
1936
Chevron and Texaco (Texas Oil Company) jointly formed California Texas Petroleum Corporation (Caltex) in 1936 to market its oil products in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
In Indonesia, NPPM became Caltex Pacific Petroleum Maatschappij (CPPM).
Caltex then received the right to explore and produce oil in an area in central Sumatera from the Netherlands East Indies. The area is now known as the Rokan block.
1940
Caltex made its first discovery in Indonesia when it discovered oil in the Sebanga field in Riau in August 1040.
1941
Caltex discovered the giant oil field Duri in 1941. Duri has the largest oil deposit in Southeast Asia at that time.
1944
Caltex discovered another giant oil field, the Minas field, in December 1944.
1945
Indonesia declared its independence in 1945. This is the event that changed the ways how oil companies operated in Indonesia.
1951
PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, commonly referred to as CPI, was established in 1951 as an Indonesian company and was awarded the right from the government of Indonesia to continue to operate the Rokan block under a work contract scheme.
1952
Oil production from the Minas field started in April 1952 and was exported from Parawan and Pakning. The initial oil production from the Minas field was 15,000 BOPD.
1954
The Duri field started to produce oil in February 1954.
1955
Caltex discovered the Bekasap field in September 1955.
1958
Caltex built the first road that connected Pekanbaru and Dumai. It was also the first road that linked the east and west coasts of the island of Sumatra.
Caltex completed the Dumai oil export terminal in July 1958. At the same time, Caltex also completed the construction of oil pipelines from Duri to Dumai.
1959
Minas crude was exported from the Dumai terminal beginning in January 1959.
1963
PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia appointed Julius Tahija, the first native Indonesian as its president in 1963.
1965
Oil production from the Bekasap field began in June 1965.
Oil production from the Duri field during the primary recovery phase peaked at 65,000 BOPD in 1965.
1966
The Pematang field came online in July 1966 and the Pungut field in August 1966.
1967
Caltex cumulative oil production reached 1000,000,000 barrels in August 1967.
Caltex constructed an extensive pipeline and road networks to connect major fields such as Bangko, Bekasap, Pematang, Petani, and Kotabatak. These fields significantly increased its oil production output.
1969
The cumulative oil production from the Minas field reached 1000,000,000 barrels in May 1969.
1973
The Petapahan field began producing oil in January 1973.
Daily oil production of Caltex reached 1000,000 BOPD for the first time in May 1973.
1975
Caltex started the Duri steam flood pilot project.
1977
CPI completed the construction of the 350-meter long bridge over the Siak river connecting the city of Pekanbaru to Rumbai, and former President Soeharto inaugurated the bridge in April 1977. Rumbai is the area where the main office and housing complex of Caltex are located.
1980
Caltex completed its first oil Gathering Station under the Duri steam flood project. More gathering stations were later added as the Duri steam flood expanded.
1983
Caltex completed its main office building in Rumbai.
1990
The late former President Soeharto inaugurated the Duri Steam Flood on 3 March 1990.
1992
Caltex Pacific Indonesia obtained a 20-year extension to its production sharing agreement with Indonesia to operate the Rokan block until 2021.
1995
Caltex implemented the Strategic Business Unit management system in 1995.
1997
Caltex completed the Dumai Main Office in May 1997.
2000
Chevron acquired Texaco in October 2000.
2002
Caltex handed over the Coastal Pekanbaru Plain (CPP) block which it had acquired in 1971 to PT Bumi Siak Pusako – Pertamina Hulu on 18 August 2002.
The new operator is a joint operation body between PT Bumi Siak Pusako (BSP) which is owned by the local government in Riau and Pertamina.
2005
With the acquisition of Texaco by Chevron, Caltex Pacific Indonesia was renamed Chevron Pacific Indonesia in September 2005.
Chevron Pacific Indonesia came under the umbrella of Chevron IndoAsia Business Unit in 2005 along with Chevron Indonesia Company (ex-Unocal Indonesia Company), Chevron Makassar (the Makassar Deepwater Project), Chevron Geothermal Indonesia (Ex-Unocal geothermal projects in Darajat and Salak), Mandau Cipta Tenaga Nusantara, and Chevron Geothermal Philippines.
2008
Chevron Pacific Indonesia marked the 11th billion barrels of oil produced from its Sumatra operation in 2008.
2010
Chevron Pacific Indonesia handed over the operatorship of the Langgak block to PT Sarana Pembangunan Riau in January 2010.
2018
With the help of the successful steam flood, the Duri field’s cumulative oil production reached 2.6 billion barrels in 2018.
Total cumulative oil production of CPI from all fields reached 13 billion barrels.
2021
Chevron Pacific Indonesia hands over the prolific Rokan block to Pertamina Hulu Rokan on 8 August 2021. Rokan block with an area of 6220 KM2 is the largest oil concession block in Indonesia. Stretching over five “kabupaten” (regencies) in central Sumatera it produced oil from more than 12000 wells located in 80 fields. It also operates one of the biggest and most successful steam floods in the world.
The top ten producing oil fields in the Rokan block are Minas, Duri, Bangko, Bekasap, Balam South, Kotabatak, Petani, Pematang, Petapahan, and Pager.
Although the total oil production from the Rokan block has come down to 160,000 barrels per day, it is still a very significant oil asset for Indonesia as it is contributing 24% of the country’s total oil production according to SKK Migas.
Presidents of Caltex Pacific Indonesia Since 1963
One of the keys to the success of CPI is its adaptability. The company took initiatives to work effectively with both the central government of Indonesia and local governments, as well as the communities.
Caltex Pacific Indonesia decided in 1963 to Indonesianize the company. It appointed Mr. Julius Tahija as the first native Indonesian to be the company president. All its subsequent presidents have been Indonesians.
Here are the past presidents of Chevron Pacific Indonesia since 1963:
1. Julius Tahija, President & Chairman of the Board of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (1963 – 1977)
2. Haroen Al Rasjid, President & Chairman of the Board of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (1977 – 1993)
3. Baihaki Hamid Hakim, President & Chairman of the Board of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (1993-1999)
4. Humayunbosha, President of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (1999-2004),
5. W. Yudiana Ardiwinata, President of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (2004-2005),
6. Suwito Anggoro, President of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia and Deputy Managing Director Indonesia Business Unit (2005-2010),
7. Abdul Hamid Batubara, President of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia and Deputy Managing Director Indonesia Business Unit (2010-2014),
8.Albert B. M. Simanjuntak, President of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia and Deputy Managing Director IBU (2014-2021),
Epilog
Although the signboard with a Caltex logo will no longer be seen at the entrance of Rumbai camp, the company will continue to be remembered by people who have worked for the company and lived in the surrounding communities.
Caltex will be remembered not just for what it did in the oil fields, but it will also be remembered for what it did for the surrounding people and communities.
Here are some of the most notable legacy of Caltex:
Building the first state senior high school (SMAN-1) in Pekanbaru in 1957
Completion of the 350 meter-long bridge over the Siak River in 1977.
Establishing the polytechnic college – Politeknik Caltex Riau in 2001.
Lastly, here is a nice comment from George Barnett on his experience working for Caltex in the early 1970s.
“I had the honor of working as a young Caltex construction engineer on the Bangko, Balam, Mengala, Kotabatak project, including the looping of the pipeline from Minas to Dumai, a new export wharf, and a new gas turbine power plant in Minas, actually fueled by crude. Years later, I worked on the conceptual front-end studies for the proposed Duri Steamflood project, in which we looked at alternative fuels for the steam boilers from railroads bringing coal from South Sumatra, to geothermal power and biomass. Pertamina showed genius in wanting the best, most efficient, and effective environmental solutions.
My fondest memories extend especially to the wonderful people of Sumatra, their genuine hard work ethic, belief in their country, their strong conservative religious roots, their empathy, understanding and friendship!”
George Barnett shared more of his experience working for Caltex in Central Sumatra.
“The construction project was to bring on stream the Bangko, Balam, South Mengala, and Kotabatak oil fields. It also involved a new parallel crude pipeline from Minas to Duri, then on to Dumai with a new export wharf and infrastructure. I recall total added production was 246,000 bpcd, and at the end, the exports did spurt to 1,000,000 bpcd during a maximum production trial.
Great memories! One of which was that the Indonesian workers had a great knack for developing mechanical skills. The CPI concession had ~348 pieces of Caterpillar equipment alone. I was introduced to operating bulldozers, cranes, earthmovers, and such. We all – a workforce of nearly 3,500 – completed a then world-class project in 18 months.
Beautiful country and people. I had a 135cc motorcycle and was able to visit a lot of remote regional communities, including as far as Bukittinggi. Saw wild animals from elephants to orangutans to tigers and giant monitor lizards. And intermingled with the Sumatran indigenous Sakai people. All are my fondest memories of a 35-year career in the oil industry.”
This article is written by Jamin Djuang. He had been in Rumbai and Duri conducting training for Caltex and had traveled the private road connecting Rumbai and Duri. He enjoyed eating in the Caltex cafeteria in Rumbai, where they served both delicious Indonesian and Western food.
Some of the information in this article was provided by Mr. Elthaf, who worked for CPI in the Minas field for 36 years.
Training and development have become ever more important as companies face significant skills gaps during this rapidly changing business environment.
How will you know if your training meets the skills gaps and generates the desired impacts to make your company successful?
The original model of training evaluation developed by Raymond Katzell suggested that training should be evaluated in four steps:
Step 1: Measure reaction.
Step 2: Measure learning.
Step 3: Measure behavior.
Step 4: Measure results.
This is the model that Kirkpatrick promoted for many years. Dr. Jack Phillips, the author or editor of more than 100 books, went further to define the methodology and add another step. He, with many other practitioners, began to call these levels. These levels of evaluation are
Level 1 – At level one, the results of training are assessed based on participants’ reactions to the training and the action plan submitted by the participants. This is commonly done immediately after the training.
Level 2 – At level two, the results of training are assessed by how much learning is acquired by participants. This is done by conducting some form of testing.
Level 3 – At level three, the training evaluator will find out if the acquired skills, knowledge, or attitude (SKA) are applied and implemented by the trainees. This is usually done several weeks or months after training.
Level 4 – At level four, evaluators assess the impact, both tangible and intangible, of the training several weeks or months after the training. Examples of tangible impacts are cost savings, higher productivity, better quality, sales increase, etc. Examples of intangible benefits are attitude improvement, better communication, etc.
Level 5 – At level five, evaluators measure the return on investment of training or any other people development program.
Phillips went on to develop process standards and pushed the methodology through the ROI Certification process. Today, over two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies use this methodology, 26 governments around the world, many NGOs, non-profits, approximately 300 health care organizations, and 150 universities. It is now the most used evaluation system in the world.
ROI is an important measure that is used to show the efficient use of funds. Management is interested in ROI as it compares the actual monetary benefits of the training program relative to the total costs of the training.
STEPS TO MEASURE THE ROI
Here are the steps to measure the ROI of a training program.
Design the training based on business needs.
Plan the training to be evaluated at all levels.
Design the training such the skills, knowledge, or attitude taught can be applied and implemented on the job.
Collect Level 1 data – reactions and action plans of trainees- at the end of training.
Collect Level 2 data – learning – at the end of training.
Collect Level 3 data – application and implementation – several weeks or months after training.
Collect Level 4 data – Both the tangible business impacts and the intangible impacts – several weeks or months after training.
Isolate the effect of the program by identifying other factors that may impact the outcomes of the program. This is a critical aspect in producing credible ROI results.
Convert Level 4 data into monetary values of the training benefits.
Annualize the monetary values to determine the monetary benefit of the training over 12 months.
Collect data on the total costs of training.
Calculate the ROI using this formula. ROI = (Benefits – Costs)/Costs x 100%
THE BENEFITS OF MEASURING ROI
As the need for skill-building is increasing and the training budget is getting bigger, it is important to know whether you are getting positive values from your investment in training.
When you have the ROI data to prove to management the value of your training, you will get more supports for the training programs you plan conduct in the future.
Dr. Jack J. Phillips is the pioneer in measuring the ROI in training. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Jack Phillips and Dr. Patti Phillips have trained and certified thousands of training professionals on the ROI Methodology. More than two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies are applying this methodology in the training they conduct.
How about your organization? Does your management ask you to measure the ROI or financial benefits of your training programs? Have you done this before? Do you have the competency and confidence to do it?
The Balikpapan refinery complex. Photo courtesy of Chaz Tumbelaka.
Indonesia currently has six oil refineries and they are all operated by Pertamina, the national oil company of Indonesia.
Here are the top five refineries in Indonesia:
Dumai Refinery, officially known as Unit Pengolahan II Dumai
Plaju Refinery, officially known as Unit Pengolahan III Plaju
Cilacap Refinery, officially known as Unit Pengolahan IV Cilacap
Balikpapan Refinery, officially known as Unit Pengolahan V Balikpapan
Balongan Refinery, officially known as Unit Pengolahan VI Balongan
Besides these five refineries, Pertamina operates a small 10,000 BOPD Kasim refinery in Sorong, West Papua.
With a total capacity to process 1,046,700 barrels of crude oil per day, all refineries in Indonesia are currently supplying about 50% of the domestic fuel needs.
In 2019, Indonesia imported 24.7 billion liters of fuel.
To meet its domestic fuel needs, Indonesia intends to produce all the fuels it needs by 2026. It hopes to increase the crude processing capacity to two million barrels per day in 2025 under the ambitious 17 billion dollar Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP).
Based on the RDMP, the top five refineries will be upgraded to increase their capabilities and capacity. Currently, Pertamina is expanding and upgrading the Cilacap and Balikpapan refineries.
Pertamina also has a plan to build two new refineries: one in Tuban in East Java and one in Bontang in East Kalimantan.
The project to construct the 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day Tuban refinery is currently underway. It is expected to complete in 2026.
Here are the details of the top five refineries.
DUMAI REFINERY
Dumai refinery started operating in 1971 and it is located in Dumai in Sumatera.
The Dumai refinery is designed with a capacity to process 170,000 barrels of crude oil and it supplies Sumatera with fuels such as gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, kerosene, solvent, green coke, and LPG.
This refinery is unique as it produces the power it needs using the natural gas produced from the surrounding gas fields namely the Grissik field operated by ConocoPhillips, the fields in the Bentu block operated by Mega Energi Persada (PT EMP), and the Jambi Merang gas fields operated by Pertamina Hulu Energi Jambi Merang (PHE Jambi Merang).
By using the natural gas produced from these fields, the Dumai refinery can reduce its fuel cost by 40%.
PLAJU REFINERY
The Plaju refinery and petrochemical complex comprises two old refineries located in the Palembang area in South Sumatera: one in Plaju and another one in Sungei Gerong.
The refinery in Plaju is the oldest existing refinery in Indonesia. It was built in 1904 by BPM (Batavia Petroleum Maatschappy), a predecessor of Shell. Pertamina acquired this refinery from BPM in 1949.
The refinery at Sungei Gerong was built by SVPM (Standard Vacuum Petroleum Maatschappij) 1926. Pertamina acquired this refinery from Stanvac in 1970.
Pertamina integrated these two refineries in 1972 by constructing connecting pipelines and officially called them Unit Pengolahan III Plaju.
The integrated Plaju refinery and petrochemical complex has a combined refining capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. It processes crude oil and intermediate products to produce gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, the B20 biodiesel fuel, aviation fuel, and fuel oil.
The types of gasoline it produces include the Premium, Pertalite, Pertamax, and Pertamax Racing.
The Plaju refinery also produces petrochemicals such as Polypropylene and PTA.
According to Pertamina, the Plaju refinery and petrochemical complex will see a new stand-alone 20,000 barrels per day “Green Refinery” in 2024 taking advantage of the locally produced crude palm oil (CPO). The new unit will produce green diesel fuel, green aviation fuel, green naphtha and green LPG.
CILACAP REFINERY
The Cilacap refinery is the largest and most integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Indonesia. With its current refining capacity of 348,000 barrels of crude oil per day, it produces 34% of the total fuel production in Indonesia.
The Cilacap refinery was initially completed in 1976 with a capacity of processing 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day. However, as a strategic refinery due to its location being in Central Java, it has been revamped and expanded several times.
Today, this Pertamina Unit IV refinery and petrochemical complex consists of three units:
Oil Refining Unit #1
Oil Refining Unit #2
Paraxylene Unit
Oil Refining Unit #1 was completed in 1976 with a capacity of processing 100,000 barrels of oil per day and it was designed to specifically handle crude oil from the Middle East.
This refining unit produces gasoline, lube oil, and asphalt. It underwent debottlenecking in 1998 to increase its refining capacity to 118,000 BOPD.
To meet the increasing demand for fuel, Oil Refining Unit #2 was completed in 1983 with a capacity of 200,000 BOPD. Its capacity was later increased to 230,000 BOPD in 1998.
This second unit is designed to handle both crude oil from the Middle East and Indonesia.
The Paraxylene Unit, completed in 1990, produces petrochemicals such as paraxylene, benzene, raffinate, and heavy aromatic. Some of these products are shipped to the Plaju refinery for further processing.
BALIKPAPAN REFINERY
The famous Balikpapan refinery was completed in 1922 by BPM (Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij), the predecessor of Royal Dutch Shell. It was built to process the crude oil that BPM had discovered in Balikpapan in East Kalimantan.
The refinery was heavily damaged twice during World War II and subsequently restored. It was later acquired by Pertamina from BPM in 1949.
The refinery has been expanded and upgraded several times to meet the increasing demand for fuel in the eastern part of Indonesia.
The Balikpapan refinery is the second-largest refinery in Indonesia. At its current crude oil processing capacity of 260,000 barrels, it processes 25% of the total crude oil intake and supplies about 15% of the fuel needs in Indonesia.
Under the RMDP refinery expansion plan, it is set to become even bigger. It is currently undergoing a massive 5 billion dollar expansion which will increase its processing capacity from 260,000 barrels per day to 360,000 barrels per day.
Besides increasing its processing capacity, the expansion project is also aimed to improve its crude flexibility and product quality. The refinery will have the capability to produce high-quality Euro V standard fuels.
The Balikpapan refinery expansion includes:
A residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) unit with a design capacity of 90,000 barrels per stream per day (BPSD)
An LPG sulfur removal unit,
A propylene recovery unit
An 80,000 BPSD middle distillate hydrotreater.
The project will also upgrade the existing vacuum distillation unit (VDU), crude distillation unit (CDU), hydrocracker unit (HCU), and LPG recovery units to increase the production of Euro V gasoline, diesel fuel, and LPG by 100,000 BPD, 30,000 BPD and 930 tons respectively per day.
Included in the project is the expansion of the crude oil receiving capacity by adding:
A single-point mooring system and a pipeline end manifold, capable of handling crude carriers with 320,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT).
A 20-inch onshore pipeline from Lawe-Lawe terminal to Panajam terminal.
A 52-inch subsea pipeline from the Panajam terminal to the refinery.
Two new one-million barrel capacity crude oil storage tanks.
Balongan Refinery
Located in Indramayu, West Java, the Balongan refinery was completed in 1994. It was revamped in 2003 to increase its processing capacity to 130,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Balongan refinery and petrochemical complex is designed to process crude oil from the Duri and Minas fields.
It produces a variety of fuels such as Premium, Pertamax, Pertamax Plus, diesel fuel, kerosene, and LPG. It also produces petrochemicals such as propylene.
This Unit VI refinery of Pertamina is a strategic and vital refinery to Indonesia as it supplies the fuel needs of the nation’s capital city of Jakarta and West Java.
The Balongan refinery prides itself for being the refinery that applies eco-friendly technology and that processes residue into high-quality products.
The refinery experienced a fire incident on 29th March 2021. Four of its storage tanks caught fire.
Kasim Refinery
The 10,000 BPD Kasim refinery is the newest but the smallest refinery of Pertamina.
Located in Sorong in West Papua, Kasim refinery was completed in 1997 to meet the needs for fuels in the most eastern part of Indonesia. It takes advantage of processing the crude oil produced from the nearby fields of Walio and Salawati.
This Pertamina Unit VII refinery is currently operating below its design capacity of 10,000 BOPD. This is due to the declining oil production from the two oil fields.
To make the plant economical to operate, Pertamina will need to increase the crude supply by bringing in crude oil via oil tankers. To do so, it will need to construct four 110,000 barrel storage tanks.
Currently, the Kasim refinery is supplying less than 15% of the fuel needed in Papua and Maluku. It is hoped that Kasim can process 50,000 BOPD in the future.
This article is adapted by Jamin Djuang from information published by Pertamina and other sources. He is the Chief Training Officer of LDI Training.
The Sepinggan Field of Pertamina in East Kalimantan- Photo courtesy of Heru Suparto
PT Pertamina (Persero) is the national oil company of Indonesia, and also the largest company in Indonesia. It is the parent holding company of all the many Pertamina subsidiary companies.
Pertamina is big. As an integrated oil company, Pertamina involves in oil and gas exploration and production, refining and petrochemicals, gas distribution through pipelines, distribution of fuels, and lube oil to every corner of the land. It is also a producer of renewable energy such as geothermal energy.
On the upstream side, Pertamina owns many oil fields and work areas and has vast and expansive oil exploration and production operations in Indonesia. It also has oil and gas interests in several other countries.
Pertamina’s upstream oil and gas interests are under the wings of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE). It is the sub-holding company of PT Pertamina (Persero) in charge of its entire upstream oil and gas assets and operations in Indonesia and overseas.
The current CEO of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi is Budiman Parhusip.
Pertamina has come a long way. Its assets include oil and gas assets that Pertamina itself develops, assets it acquired from BPM (Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij), assets it acquired from international companies upon the expiry of their production sharing contracts, and its oil and gas assets overseas.
Pertamina grew significantly in 2021 as it acquired the huge and prolific Rokan block from Chevron in Sumatera.
As Pertamina’s oil fields are located in many islands of Indonesia covering a vast area of more than 113,000 Km2, its assets and operations are divided into five regions. Each region is further divided into zones.
Here are the five regions including the zones under each region and their leadership teams.
REGION 1- Sumatera
Pertamina’s assets in Sumatera fall under Region 1 and they are managed under PT Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR).
Consisting of four zones, Pertamina Hulu Rokan manages the following assets:
In Zone 1 – North Sumatera Offshore (NSO), North Sumatera Basin (NSB), Rantau, Pangkalan Susu, West Glagah Kambuna, Siak, Kampar, Lirik, Jambi, Jambi Merang, Jabung
In Zone 2 – North Rokan (Rokan Utara)
In Zone 3 – South Rokan (Rokan Selatan)
In Zone 4 – Ogan Komering, Raja Tempirai, Ramba, Corridor, Prabumulih, Limau, Pendopo, Adera
Here is the current leadership team stewarding Pertamina’s exploration and production activities in Region 1.
Novy Hendri – VP Exploration
Tri Sasongko – VP Development and Drilling
Junizar Harman – VP Operation and Production
Saptiadi Nugroho – VP Business Support
Ani Surakhman – General Manager of Zone 1
Ahmad Miftah – General Manager of Zone 4
REGION 2 – Java and Natuna
Region 2 covers Pertamina upstream activities in West Java and the Natuna Sea, and they are managed under PT Pertamina Eksplorasi dan Produksi (PEP).
Here are the zones in Region 2 and the assets under each zone.
Zone 5 – Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ), Abar, Anggursi
Zone 6 – Offshore South East Sumatera (PHE OSES)
Zone 7 – Tambun, Subang, Jatibarang, East Natuna, The Natuna Sea Block A
Here is the new leadership team of Region 2.
Muharram Jaya – VP Exploration
Merry Luciawaty – VP Development and Drilling
Wisnu Hindadari – VP Operation and Productions
Bongbongan Tampubolon – VP Business Support
Achmad Agus Miftakhurrohman – General Manager of Zone 5
Cosmas Supriatna – General Manager of Zone 6
Astri Pujianto – General Manager of Zone 7
REGION 3 – Kalimantan
Region 3 assets and operations are located in Kalimantan, and PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) is the operating holding company of Pertamina in Region 3.
Here are the zones in Region 3 and the assets in each zone:
Zone 8 – Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), Pertamina West Ganal (PHWG), East Sepinggan
Zone 9 – Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), Sangata, Maratua, Tanjung
Zone 10 – Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT), Bunyu, Tarakan, Nunukan, East Ambalat, Simenggaris, Ambalat, Bukat
Here is the leadership team supervising Pertamina’s exploration and production activities in Region 3.
Bayu Giriansyah – VP Exploration
Arief Prasetyo Handoyo – VP Development and Drilling
Rachmad Wibowo – VP Production
Satya Nugraha – VP Business Support
Agus Amperianto – General Manager of Zone 8
Andri Haribowo – General manager of Zone 9
Raam Krisna – General Manager of Zone 10
REGION 4 – East Java and Eastern Part of Indonesia
Pertamina’s oil and assets located in the eastern part of Indonesia and East Java are under Region 4.
PT Pertamina Eksplorasi dan Produksi Cepu (PEPC) is the operation holding company in charge of Region 4.
Here are the zones in Region 4 and their assets:
Zone 11 – Alas Dara Kemuning (PEPC ADK), Cepu, West Madura Offshore (PHE WMO), Randugunting, Sukowati, Poleng, Tuban East Java
Zone 12 – Jambaran Tiung Biru (JTB), Banyu Urip
Zone 13 – Donggi Matindok, Senoro Tolidi, Makassar Strait
Zone 14 – Papua, Salawati, Kepala Burung, Babar Selaru, Semai
Here is the current leadership team of Region 4.
Ali Sundja – VP Development and Drilling
Muhamad Arifin – VP Operation and Production
Fransiono Lazarus – VP Business Support
Dedy Syam – General Manager of Zone 11
Iman Nur Akbar – General Manager of Zone 13
Djudjuwanto General Manager of Zona 14
REGION 5 – International
Pertamina also has oil and gas interests in several countries outside Indonesia. Its international E&P operations and assets fall under Region 5 and they are under the management of PT Pertamina International Eksplorasi dan Produksi (PIEP).
Here are the zones of Region 5 and their locations:
Zone 15 – Algeria
Zone 16 – Iraq
Zone 17 – Malaysia
Here is the current leadership team supervising Pertamina’s international exploration and production activities.
Fuji Koesumadewi – VP Exploration
Yosi Hiroshiadi – VP Development and Drilling
Charles P. Sialagan – VP Operation and Production
Ria Noveria – VP Business Support
Edwil Suzandi – Country Manager in Algeria
The total daily oil and gas production of Pertamina in 2021 is 897,000 BOEPD according to Budiman Parhusip, CEO of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi.
Here is the breakdown of the oil and gas production in 2021.
The total daily oil production is 445,000 BOPD. This comprises 349,000 BOPD from Indonesia and 96,000 BOPD from operations outside of Indonesia.
Daily total gas production is 2615 MMSCFD. This comprises 2290 MMSCFD from Indonesia and 325 MMSCFD from operations outside of Indonesia.
Pertamina drilled 12 exploration and 350 development wells in 2021.
This article is adapted by Jamin Djuang – Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training – from information published by Pertamina and various other sources.
This has been a very surprising and great week for the oil industry.
The OPEC+ members – Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their Russia-led allies – held their meeting this week and decided not to increase oil production in April. As a result, oil prices and share prices of all major oil companies soared this week ending on 5 March 2021.
The price of Brent crude oil surged to $69.36 per barrel while the WTI crude oil closed higher also at $66.28 this week.
STOCK PRICES OF MAJOR OIL COMPANIES
All oil major companies saw huge gains in their stock prices this week.
Here are their closing prices and the weekly changes.
CHEVRON – $109.00 up 9%
EXXONMOBIL – $60.93 up 12.1%
CONOCOPHILLIPS – $58.34 up 12.2%
BP – $26.77 up 9.7%
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL – 18.13 EUR up 7.3%
TOTAL – 40.97 EUR up 6.7%
ENI – 10.06 EUR up 6.1%
RIG COUNTS
The weekly US rig count increased to 403. The oil companies in the US added one rig last week, according to Baker Hughes Rig Counts.
The total global rig count continues its monthly gain. It increased by 87 rigs in the month of February 2021 to 1270. The total global rig count in January was 1183.
This weekly report is adapted by LDI Training from various sources of information.
The upstream oil and gas industry of Indonesia invested 10.21 billion US dollars and performed well in 2020 according to SKK Migas, the special task force in charge of upstream oil and gas activities of oil companies in Indonesia.
The oil and gas industry of Indonesia successfully met and even exceeded some of the 2020 targets that were set by the Indonesian government in the following key areas:
Reserve Replacement ratio (RRR).
Oil lifting
Controlling the cost recovery
Revenue intake by the government
Completion of oil and gas projects
RESERVE REPLACEMENT RATIO
The reserve replacement ratio in 2020 is 101.6%. The oil industry added 705 MMBOE of reserve in 2020.
OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION
The average daily oil lifting in 2020 is 706,000 BOPD. This exceeded the government target of 705,000 BOPD.
However, daily gas production in 2020 is 5461 MMSCFD. This is below the government target of 5556 MMSCFD.
COST RECOVERY
The amount of cost recovery in 2020 is US$ 8.12 billion which is in line with the government expectations.
OIL REVENUE TO GOVERNMENT
The oil industry contributed US$ 8.4 billion of revenues to the Indonesian government. This amount is 41% higher than the expected amount of US$5.86 billion.
COMPLETION OF EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION PROJECTS
Fifteen oil and gas projects went on stream in 2020. These new projects added 9182 barrels of oil per day and 111 million SCF of gas per day.
3199 Km of 2D seismic and 1251 Km2 of 3D seismic surveys were completed in 2020.
SKK Migas was active and running in 2020 to keep the oil and gas exploration and production activities at a high level. Here are some of the key actions that SKK Migas undertook in 2020:
SKK Migas signed twenty-four PSC side letters and sixty-one letters of agreement (LoA).
The government reduced the prices of gas sold to domestic companies to stimulate economic growth.
Allowing oil and gas operators to delay topping up the Abandonment and Site Restoration fund.
Eliminating the costs to oil operators of using government assets in their exploration and production activities.
Allowing oil companies to accelerate asset appreciation.
SKK Migas and Chevron Pacific Indonesia signed the Heads of Agreement to ensure the continuity of a high level of activities such as well drilling and production optimization in the Rokan Block during the final phase of the PSC contract. Chevron will hand over the operatorship of The Rokan block to Pertamina when its production sharing contract expires in August 2021.
SKK Migas approved the Plan of Development (POD) submitted by Repsol for the development of the huge Kaliberau gas field having 445 billion SCF of gas reserve in the Sakakemang block. The total investment in this project is estimated at 359 million US dollars.
PERFORMANCE OF THE OIL AND GAS OPERATORS IN 2020
Here are the top nine oil and gas operators who exceeded their oil production targets in 2020.
Chevron Pacific Indonesia
Pertamina Hulu Mahakam
Pertamina Hulu Energi ONWJ
Pertamina Hulu Energi OSES
Petrochina International Jabung
Medco E & P Natuna
Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga
Medco E&P Rimau
JOB Pertamina – Medco Tomori Sulawesi
Here are the top nine oil and gas operators who exceeded their gas production targets in 2020.
BP Berau
Pertamina Hulu Mahakam
Eni Muara Bakau BV
JOB Pertamina – Medco Tomori Sulawesi
Premier Oil Indonesia
Petrochina International Jabung
Medco E & P Natuna
Kangean Energi Indonesia
Pearl Oil (Sebuku)
EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION TARGETS FOR 2021
Being optimistic that Indonesia will meet the target of 1 million BOPD and 12 BSCFD of gas by 2030, SKK Migas is committed to keeping oil and gas production high in 2021. Here are its ambitious targets for oil and gas activities in 2021:
Daily oil production – 705,000 BOPD. This is the same target as in 2020.
The number of exploration wells – 43. This is a significant increase from 28, the actual number of exploration wells drilled in 2020.
The number of development wells – 616. This target is much higher compared with the 240 development wells drilled in 2020.
Number of workovers – 615
Number of well services – 26,431
2-D seismic survey – 3569 Km
3-D seismic survey – 1549 Km2
The Indonesian oil industry performed well in 2020. Mr. Dwi Soetjipto, the head of SKK Migas said: “The year 2020 was a difficult year for many oil operators due to the Covid 19 pandemic and the low oil prices. Nevertheless, the oil industry of Indonesia was able to meet several targets set by the government. Hopefully, this will help the country’s economy.”
This blog article is adapted from “Kinerja Hulu Migas Gemilang Sepanjang 2020” published by SKK Migas on 4 January 2021.
This article is adapted from SKK Migas news by Jamin Djuang – Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training.
Indonesia is the second-largest geothermal energy producer in the world after the USA. The total installed power generating capacity from the active 19 geothermal power plants in Indonesia was 2418 MW at the end of 2023.
Indonesia is the biggest contributor to the increase of installed geothermal power in the world in 2021.
Indonesia added a total of 133 MW of capacity in 2021: 45 MW from Unit II Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power Plant on 28 July 2021 and 98.4 MW from the Rantau Dedap Power Plant on 26 December 2021.
The country added a total of 80 MW of geothermal power in 2022.
Located right on the long stretch of the Ring of Fire, Indonesian islands are endowed with rich geothermal resources. The total potential geothermal resources of Indonesia are estimated at 28,000 MW.
Although the geothermal potential is huge, its utilization rate is under 8%.
Here are the top ten largest geothermal plants in Indonesia in 2022.
The Kamojang Geothermal Plant
Operating since 1982, the 235 MW Kamojang plant is the first geothermal power plant in Indonesia. Located in the Garut area in West Java, it has been operating for 38 years.
The Dutch spotted the Kamojang geothermal potential more than one hundred years ago and drilled several wells in the area. In 1926 it successfully drilled the first steam-producing well in Kamojang, also the first in Indonesia.
Later in I971, Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) with cooperation from New Zealand began to develop the field followed by the construction of the Kamojang power plant, the first geothermal power plant in Indonesia.
The plant is operated by Pertamina Geothermal Energi.
The Salak Geothermal Power Plant
Producing 381 MW of power, the Salak plant is the largest geothermal power plant in Indonesia and is also one of the largest in the world.
Located at Gunung Salak in West Java, the Salak plant has been operating since 1994. The power plant now consists of six power stations.
The Salak geothermal resources were initially explored and developed by Unocal. In 2005, the Salak geothermal assets were taken over by Chevron who eventually sold it to Star Energy in 2017.
The Darajat Geothermal Plant
The 270 MW Darajat geothermal plant, comprising three power stations, started its commercial operation in 1994 and is one of the oldest geothermal power plants in Indonesia.
The Darajat geothermal assets, located in West Java, were initially explored and developed by Amoseas. The assets were later taken over by Chevron which eventually sold them to a consortium led by Star Energy in 2017.
The Darajat resource has two special characteristics. First, it is one of only a few dry steam fields in the world.
Secondly, the Darajat wells are highly productive. While the worldwide average capacity of a geothermal well is 5 to 10 MW, a Darajat well can produce 40 MW of power.
The Sarulla Geothermal Plant
The Sarulla geothermal plant, consisting of three power stations with a total of 330 MW capacity, is the second-largest geothermal plant in Indonesia and is also one of the largest geothermal plants in the world.
The Sarulla geothermal resources, located in North Sumatra, were initially discovered by Unocal. Unocal conducted extensive exploration in the Sarulla geothermal working area from 1993 to 1998. It drilled a total of 13 deep wells and proved the existence of 330 MW of commercial geothermal reserves for 30 years.
However, due to the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the Unocal proposed power plant was not constructed until after the project was taken over by Sarulla Operation Limited (SOL).
Sarulla Operation Limited started to operate the first power station in March 2017, the second station in October 2017, and the third station in March 2018.
The company is a consortium consisting of Medco Power Indonesia, Pertamina Geothermal Energy, INPEX, Ormat International, Itochu Corporation, and Kyushu Electric Power.
The Sorik Marapi Geothermal Plant
The Sorik Marapi geothermal power plant located in Mandailing Natal in North Sumatra has a total installed capacity of 140 MW as of October 6, 2022.
The Sorik Marapi geothermal plant was developed by ORKA Energy and operated by PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power.
The Sorik Marapi 45 MW Unit 1 power station came online in 2019. It was completed in a record time of three years, with the first drilling starting in October 2016 and the completion of the power station in October 2019.
The second 45 MW unit was inaugurated on 28 July 2021.
Its newest power station, the 50 MW Sorik Marapi Unit 3 station came online on October 6, 2022.
The company has a target to complete 50 MW Unit 4 and 50 MW Unit 5 power stations in 2023 and 2024 respectively to bring up its total eventual power generation capacity to 240 MW.
The Muara Laboh Geothermal Plant
Completed in 2019, the 85 MW Muara Laboh geothermal plant is the newest plant among the ten largest geothermal power plants in Indonesia.
The Muara Laboh geothermal plant is located in West Sumatra and is operated by Supreme Energy Muara Laboh (SEML).
It took the company 12 years to complete the geothermal project at 587 million US dollars.
The operator of the project, PT Supreme Energy Muara Laboh (SEML), is a consortium consisting of PT Supreme Energy, ENGIE, and Sumitomo Corporation.
Having proven reserves of 200MW, the company is in negotiation with PLN, the national power company, to build a second power generation unit.
The Ulubelu Geothermal Plant
Operating since 2012 and located at Lampung in Sumatera, the 220 MW Ulubelu geothermal power plant is operated by Pertamina Geothermal Energy.
The combined 220 MW power comes from the four 55 MW power generation units.
The Lahendong Geothermal Plant
The 120 MW Lahendong geothermal plant is located in Tomohon in North Sulawesi. The Lahendong plant started to operate commercially in 2001 and Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) is the operator.
Its combined 120 MW power is generated from its six 20 MW power generation units.
The Wayang Windu Geothermal Plant
Located in the Bandung area in West Java, the 227 MW Wayang Windu geothermal project plant was initially started by Magma Nusantara Limited.
The power plant began its commercial operation in 1999. The power plant consists of two power stations – the 110 MW Unit 1 and the 117 MW Unit 2 stations.
Star Energy, the current operator of the Wayang Windu power plant, acquired the project in November 2004.
The Dieng Geothermal Plant
The 60 MW Dieng geothermal power plant started to operate in 1998. The Dieng plant is located in the Dieng area in Central Java and is operated by Geo Dipa Energi.
Geo Dipa Energi is currently working on the following projects in the Dieng work area:
Adding a small 10 MW power plant.
Developing a 55 MW Dieng-2 power plant (PLTP Dieng Unit 2)
Developing a 55 MW Dieng-3 power plant (PLTP Dieng Unit 3)
The Patuha Geothermal Plant
The 55 MW Patuha geothermal plant located at the Ciwidey area in West Java has been in operation since 2014.
Geo Dipa Energi as the operator is committed to drilling 12 new wells beginning in 2021 and constructing a second 55 MW power plant. Its long-term plan is to increase the Patuha power generation capacity to 400 MW.
The Lumut Balai Geothermal Plant
The 55 MW Unit 1 station of the Lumut Balai geothermal plant, located at Muara Enim in South Sumatra, started to operate commercially in 2019.
Pertamina Geothermal Energy as the operator of the Lumut Balai geothermal work area aiming to bring the total capacity of the power plant to 220 MW has started the project to build a second 55 MW power station.
Pertamina Geothermal Energy has awarded the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning (EPCC) contract to the Mitsubishi Corporation Consortium to construct the 55-MW Lumut Balai Unit 2 Geothermal Power Plant and the corresponding Fluid Collection and Reinjection System.
The Rantau Dedap Geothermal Plant
The Rantau Dedap geothermal power plant, located in South Sumatra, is the latest geothermal power plant that came online in Indonesia in 2021. Currently, it consists of two power stations, Unit 1 and Unit 2 having a total installed capacity of 98.5 MW.
The power plant is operated by PT Supreme Energy Rantau Dedap (SERD), a consortium consisting of Supreme Energy, Marubeni, ENGIE, and Tohoku Electric Company.
Here are the timelines for the Rantau Dedap geothermal project:
2010 – The concession for the Rantau Dedap was awarded to Supreme Energy.
2011 – Geoscientific exploration began.
2014 – Exploration drilling began.
2015 – A total of 6 exploration wells were completed by 2015.
2016 – The company confirmed the 92 MW of proven reserve capacity.
2018 – Power plant construction began.
2021 – Completed the Unit 1 and Unit 2 power stations.
The 49.25 MW Unit 1 station was successfully synchronized to PLN’s power grid on 5 October 2021. PLN – Perusahaan Listrik Negara – is the national electricity company of Indonesia.
The Rantau Dedap Unit 2 station began its commercial operation on 26 December 2021.
PT Supreme Energy Rantau Dedap plans to further develop the geothermal potential in the Rantau Dedap geothermal work area with a total development target of 240 MW.
Geothermal is Rising in Indonesia
Sixteen geothermal power plants are operating in Indonesia currently. The number of power plants in Indonesia will likely increase as several new power plants will be completed in the future.
The Indonesian government is very keen to develop its vast geothermal resources to increase the contribution of renewable energy in its energy mix. Its targets are to increase the geothermal power generation capacity to 9300 MW by 2035.
To meet these targets, the government will provide funds to help companies in their exploration drillings, provide tax holidays, and remove certain taxes.
With a total of 265 potential sites for geothermal plants located across the country, the utilization of geothermal resources should continue to increase long into the future in Indonesia.
Written by Jamin Djuang – Chief Learning Officer of LDI Training and author of The Story of Oil and Gas: How Oil and Gas Are Explored, Drilled, and Produced
Medco Energi Internasional is the first publicly owned oil company in Indonesia.
Medco is celebrating more than 40 years of presence and continued success as one of the leading energy companies in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Medco Energi International became a public company in 1994, and today it operates in eight countries.
It has interests in oil and gas exploration and production, geothermal power generation, gas distribution and trading, and mining.
2022 was a wonderful year for Medco Energy. It booked net profits of 531 million USD in 2022, which is more than 10 times higher than the US$ 47 million it made in 2021. The company produced 163 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) in 2022, a 73% increase over the previous year.
The Beginning of Medco
Medco Energi has come a long way in a short time since it started as an oil drilling service company in 1980, Meta Epsi Pribumi Drilling Company (MEDCO).
Founded by Mr. Arifin Panigoro, Medco Energi has been a visionary and a trailblazer ever since its beginning.
The Acquisition of Stanvac Indonesia
The first breaks that made Medco become big and successful were the acquisition of Stanvac’s oil and gas assets in South Sumatra in 1995, and the following discovery of the big oil fields in Kaji and Semoga in the Rimau Block, in South Sumatra.
Stanvac Indonesia, set up by Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1912, was one of the oldest and biggest oil companies in Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era.
The Acquisition of ConocoPhillips’ Interest in West Natuna Sea Block B PSC
Medco Energi further expanded in 2016 when it purchased ConocoPhillips’s 40% interest in the West Natuna Sea Block B and took over the operatorship of the block.
This acquisition added substantial gas and liquids reserves and increased Medco Energi’s daily production by over 35%.
The block is in approximately 300 feet of water and had 11 offshore platforms, four producing subsea fields, and one FPSO – the Belanak FPSO – in addition to two dedicated floating storage and offloading vessels.
The Belanak FPSO was described as one of the most complex FPSOs in the world. It was the first offshore liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) facility on a floating vessel in the Asia Pacific region when it was commissioned in 2004.
The fields include the Belanak field, South Belut field, Hiu field, Kerisi field, North Belut field, and Bawal field.
The produced natural gas is sold to Singapore and Malaysia through a 654 KM long 28 inch gas pipeline.
Medco Energi also assumed the operatorship of the Onshore Receiving Facility in Singapore following the acquisition.
Acquisition of Ophir Energy
Medco Energi Internasional continued to expand by acquiring Ophir Energy, a London-based independent, in 2019.
The acquisition of Ophir Energy increased Medco Energi’s daily oil and gas production by 29% to 110,000 BOE per day.
By taking over the operatorship of Ophir Energy’s offshore Bualuang field in Thailand, Medco Energi became a leading regional oil and gas player in Southeast Asia.
Acquisition of Corridor PSC and Transasia Pipeline
On March 3, 2022, Medco Energi acquired the entire remaining assets of ConocoPhillips in Indonesia.
Through this acquisition, Medco Energi is now the operator of the Corridor block with 54% interest and has 35% ownership of Transasia Pipeline Company.
The Corridor PSC has two producing oil fields and seven producing gas fields located onshore South Sumatra, Indonesia, adjacent to MedcoEnergi’s existing operations in South Sumatra. The Corridor is the second-largest gas-producing block in Indonesia.
Through Transasia, Medco Energi International now owns a minority interest in the gas pipeline network supplying Central Sumatra, Batam, and Singapore customers.
Acquisition of the Beluga Work Area
Medco Energi was awarded the Beluga exploration PSC on September 21, 2023. The work area is located close to its existing South Natuna Sea Block B infrastructure.
Medco Energi Internasional Q1 2023 Performance
Net profit – 119.5 million USD
Oil and gas production – 162,000 BOEPD
Average price of oil sold – $75.2 per barrel
Average price of gas sold – $7.2 per MMBTU
Oil and gas lifting cost – $7.4 per BOE
Oil and gas capital expenditures – $99 million
The capital expenditures are for the development in the Natura and Corridor work areas.
Epilogue
With this latest acquisition, Medco Energi is now one of the largest oil and gas operators in Indonesia.
Besides acquiring producing assets, Medco Energi is also active in exploring new oil and gas reserves.
Its 2020 exploration drilling campaign in the South Natuna Sea Block B was 100% successful. It tested hydrocarbon in all four of the exploration wells it drilled. The wells are Bronang-2, Kaci-2, Terubuk-5, and West Belut-1.
Medco Energi is planning to develop these fields.
As Medco Energi celebrates its more than 40 years of progress, with its solid management team, it certainly will continue to march toward an even brighter future.
Top Management Team of Medco Energi as of June 4, 2026
Here is the top management team of Medco Energi.
President Commissioner – Yani Panigoro
Hilmi Panigoro – President Director
Ronald Gunawan – Chief Executive Officer
Amri Siahaan – Chief Operating Officer
Benny Setiawan – Chief Financial Officer
Sanjeev Bansal – Chief Growth Officer
As a final note, Dr. Arifin Panigoro, the man who started it all and the founder of Medco group of companies, died on 27 February 2022 at the age of 76.
The Balikpapan Refinery – Photo courtesy of Tropenmuseum
Since the early 1900s, with oil discoveries in Sumatera in 1885, Java in 1887, and Kalimantan in 1891, Indonesia has been recognized as an important oil-producing country outside America.
By 1900 there were already 18 oil companies operating in Indonesia. It is interesting to note that only companies registered in Nederland and managed by the Dutch could operate in Indonesia at that time. The reason for this was up until World War II, Indonesia was under the administration of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI).
These old Dutch oil companies played important roles in putting Indonesia on the world map as a significant producer of crude oil and fuels. They discovered and developed many oilfields in Indonesia, and even built refineries in Sumatera, Java, and Borneo. By 1938, oil production had reached 140,000 barrels per day.
Oil well drilling in Pangkalan Susu, Sumatera, in 1916 by KNPM.
By 1945, the year when Indonesia declared its independence, due to acquisitions and mergers, the number of oil companies had reduced to just four: BPM (Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij), NIAM (Nederlands Indische Aardolie Maatschappij), STANVAC, and CALTEX.
Stanvac and Caltex which were owned by their American parent companies started as Dutch-registered companies.
After 1965, when Pertamina acquired BPM, all the oil companies with Dutch names no longer existed. Nevertheless, their names appeared in many old and new articles and are often cited in research papers.
Since the names of the old Dutch oil companies in Indonesia consisted of long Dutch words, they were often written in their acronyms.
Here is the glossary of the acronyms of some of the old Dutch oil companies that operated in Indonesia in the past.
