Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) head Dwi Soetjipto turns a handle on a gas pipe at a gas network installation in Gunung Sari Ulu, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. (Photo: https://www.thejakartapost.com/) Jakarta (VNA) - The Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Task Force (SKK Migas) ofIndonesia has announced the discovery of additional gas reserves in the SouthAndaman Sea that it claims could be among the biggest in the world.
Accordingly, Mubadala Energy, an AbuDhabi-based oil and gas company, has found the gas deposit of potentially over 6trillion cubic feet in Layaran-1, its first deepwater well in the AndamanSea, about 100 kilometers off North Sumatra.
In a statement on December 19, Mubadala Energy CEOMansoor Mohammed Al Hamed said this discovery is not just a significantdevelopment for Mubadala Energy but also serves as a historical milestone forIndonesia’s energy security.
SKK Migas head Dwi Soetjipto said this is the first time Indonesia has obtained two giantdiscoveries within the same year, Soetjipto said.
The Layaran discovery followsanother gas found in Geng North-1 exploration well off the coast of East Kalimantanprovince in October, which has an estimated reserve of up to 5 trillion cubic feet.
Indonesia set a target to increaseexploitation production to 1 million barrels of crude oil per day and 12,300million standard cubic feet per day by 2030 to reduce its dependence on oil and gas imports.
However,this effort has encountered some challenges as Indonesia's oil wells arerunning out, while new reserves are hard to come by, and recent discoverieshave only slowed the decline in output./.
