Indonesia Protested to China Over Passports Last Year

Indonesia's foreign minister has said that the Southeast Asian nation protested to China about a controversial map printed in Chinese passports last year which claimed almost all of the South China Sea, the Financial Times reported Friday on its website.

Beijing has become increasingly assertive in its claims over large swathes of the South China Sea, including islands and shoals which are also claimed by several Asean members and Taiwan. The controversial "nine-dash line" printed in its passports represents the extent of China's claim over South China Sea in a map it submitted to the U.N.

Indonesia hadn't issued a public statement that time, even though the nine-dash line cuts through its so-called Exclusive Economic Zone in the gas-rich Natuna Sea, where companies including ExxonMobil Corp. and Total SA operate, the FT report said.

However, Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said they did in fact protest to Beijing "several weeks" after the new passports were issued, and had sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese embassy in Jakarta, according to the FT.

"We exercised nice low key diplomacy but getting our point across," Mr. Natalegawa said in the report.

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FT: Indonesia Protested to China Over Passports Last Year

Indonesia's foreign minister has said that the Southeast Asian nation protested to China about a controversial map printed in Chinese passports last year which claimed almost all of the South China Sea, the Financial Times reported Friday on its website.

Beijing has become increasingly assertive in its claims over large swathes of the South China Sea, including islands and shoals which are also claimed by several Asean members and Taiwan. The controversial "nine-dash line" printed in its passports represents the extent of China's claim over South China Sea in a map it submitted to the U.N.

Indonesia hadn't issued a public statement that time, even though the nine-dash line cuts through its so-called Exclusive Economic Zone in the gas-rich Natuna Sea, where companies including ExxonMobil Corp. and Total SA operate, the FT report said.

However, Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said they did in fact protest to Beijing "several weeks" after the new passports were issued, and had sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese embassy in Jakarta, according to the FT.

"We exercised nice low key diplomacy but getting our point across," Mr. Natalegawa said in the report.

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Indonesia Awards 14 New Oil, Gas Blocks

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government Thursday awarded 14 new oil and gas blocks to investors as the former member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries struggles to boost crude oil production.

Edi Hermantoro, director general of oil and gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, told reporters the 14 blocks were part of the 16 the government offered to investors last year. Two of them failed to attract interest from investors.

Among the 14 blocks, Mr. Hermantoro said the government awarded:

the West Natuna Block to Premier Oil West Tuna Ltd., a unit of Premier Oil PLC,the West and North East Bangkanai blocks to Salamander Energy PLC,the West Sebuku Block to a consortium led by Inpex Corp. and Mubadala Petroleum Holdings (South East Asia) Ltd., andthe Merangin III Block to Cooper Energy Ltd.

He said the investors will spend $84.30 million in total on exploration activities during the first three years.

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Niko to Spud Kutei Well Offshore Indonesia

Niko Resources Ltd. provided the following exploration updates:

The Cikar-1 exploration well, located in the West Papua IV block in eastern Indonesia, has been drilled to a depth of 14,431 feet and temporarily suspended after encouraging initial results. The suspension will allow Niko to return to the well for future deepening and testing.

Located in a water depth of 4,528 feet, the well encountered a 700 foot thick section of the targeted New Guinea Limestone primary objective and was still in the porous zone when well conditions forced suspension of drilling operations. The well encountered gas in the drilling of the deeper section.

Significant exploration potential in New Guinea Limestone and Pliocene/Pleistocene prospects remains to be drilled on the 2,467 square miles (6,389 square kilometers) West Papua IV block.

The drilling rig Ocean Monarch (UDW semisub) will be mobilizing to the Niko-operated North Makassar block in the prolific Kutei basin where it will spud a well in early April, with a projected drilling time of 70-80 days. The well will target an extension of previous Miocene age deep water discoveries and is located near the Lebah-1 gas discovery drilled in the North Ganal block in September 2012.

The MJ-1 exploration well in the D6 Block was spud in early March and is drilling ahead. MJ-1 is targeting a Mesozoic synrift clastic reservoir, similar to the producing MA oil and gas field and over 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) deeper than and directly beneath the producing D1 D3 fields in the block.

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Indonesia Extends Pertamina CEO Tenure

JAKARTA - Indonesia's government has extended the tenure of Karen Agustiawan, the president director of state energy company Pertamina, to ensure the continuity of business plans currently being implemented, a minister said Tuesday.

"We extended Karen's period temporarily," State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting. The government may retain her for a full-five year term, he said.

Mr. Iskan said the decision to extend was made last Thursday at a shareholders' meeting.

Ms. Agustiawan's term began in February 2009 and had been scheduled to end on March 5. Tenure at the company's top spot typically lasts five years, but governments in the past have occasionally changed the CEO early.

Achievements during her tenure include a foray into alternative energy such as geothermal and coal-bed methane, and pursuit of assets outside Indonesia.

In a vote of confidence for Pertamina's development under Ms. Agustiawan, investors flocked to the U.S. dollar-denominated bonds the company issued in 2011 and 2012, from which it raised US$3.9 billion.

Pertamina's net profit in 2012 rose 26% to 25.89 trillion rupiah (US$2.7 billion), Ms. Agustiawan said last week.

Output rose to 461,640 barrels of oil equivalent last year from 457,640 barrels.

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Indonesia Extends Pertamina CEO Tenure

JAKARTA - Indonesia's government has extended the tenure of Karen Agustiawan, the president director of state energy company Pertamina, to ensure the continuity of business plans currently being implemented, a minister said Tuesday.

"We extended Karen's period temporarily," State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting. The government may retain her for a full-five year term, he said.

Mr. Iskan said the decision to extend was made last Thursday at a shareholders' meeting.

Ms. Agustiawan's term began in February 2009 and had been scheduled to end on March 5. Tenure at the company's top spot typically lasts five years, but governments in the past have occasionally changed the CEO early.

Achievements during her tenure include a foray into alternative energy such as geothermal and coal-bed methane, and pursuit of assets outside Indonesia.

In a vote of confidence for Pertamina's development under Ms. Agustiawan, investors flocked to the U.S. dollar-denominated bonds the company issued in 2011 and 2012, from which it raised US$3.9 billion.

Pertamina's net profit in 2012 rose 26% to 25.89 trillion rupiah (US$2.7 billion), Ms. Agustiawan said last week.

Output rose to 461,640 barrels of oil equivalent last year from 457,640 barrels.

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SKK Migas: Indonesia Faces Challenges in Meeting 2013 O&G Targets

 Indonesia's upstream oil and gas unit SKK Migas warned Thursday that the country could face challenges in achieving its oil and gas targets this year, amid a stream of factors that have negatively impacted exploration and production efforts.

In a statement released Thursday, SKK Migas noted that rig procurement issues, land acquisition problems, evaluation plan delays and unforeseen weather conditions are obstacles that could lead to a lower-than-expected oil and gas production target this year.

State-backed Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) West Madura Offshore (WMO) was in late January, forced to shut down operations at the Production Sharing Contract sited offshore East Java due to heavy storms.

SKK Migas' Chief, Rudi Rubiandini, said that he expects the country's oil production to drop by a slight 0.2 percent this year, while its gas output is estimated to rise 4.2 percent. Indonesia's oil production dropped by 4.7 percent last year; the country's gas output declined 3.1 percent in the same period.

"We really need help from all sides," Rubiandini was quoted as telling local media Thursday.

The Indonesian government is aiming to produce 900,000 barrels per day of oil (bopd) for this year, and one million bopd in 2014. Indonesia produced 865,000 bopd of oil in 2012, well below its target of 930,000 bopd. 

Quintella has reported on the upstream and downstream oil and petrochemicals markets from 2004. Email Quintella at quintella.koh@rigzone.com.

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SKK Migas: Indonesia Faces Challenges in Meeting 2013 O&G Targets

 Indonesia's upstream oil and gas unit SKK Migas warned Thursday that the country could face challenges in achieving its oil and gas targets this year, amid a stream of factors that have negatively impacted exploration and production efforts.

In a statement released Thursday, SKK Migas noted that rig procurement issues, land acquisition problems, evaluation plan delays and unforeseen weather conditions are obstacles that could lead to a lower-than-expected oil and gas production target this year.

State-backed Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) West Madura Offshore (WMO) was in late January, forced to shut down operations at the Production Sharing Contract sited offshore East Java due to heavy storms.

SKK Migas' Chief, Rudi Rubiandini, said that he expects the country's oil production to drop by a slight 0.2 percent this year, while its gas output is estimated to rise 4.2 percent. Indonesia's oil production dropped by 4.7 percent last year; the country's gas output declined 3.1 percent in the same period.

"We really need help from all sides," Rubiandini was quoted as telling local media Thursday.

The Indonesian government is aiming to produce 900,000 barrels per day of oil (bopd) for this year, and one million bopd in 2014. Indonesia produced 865,000 bopd of oil in 2012, well below its target of 930,000 bopd. 

Quintella has reported on the upstream and downstream oil and petrochemicals markets from 2004. Email Quintella at quintella.koh@rigzone.com.

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McDermott Wins Platforms and Infield Flowline Contract in Indonesia

McDermott International said late Monday that its Indonesian subsidiary has been awarded a contract by PC Muriah, an affiliate of Petronas Carigali, to develop offshore surface facilities and an infield flowline for the Kepodang Field, located approximately 112 miles northeast of Semarang, Central Java, in water depths of up to 230 feet. 

The project will be included in McDermott's 4Q 2012 backlog. 

The award includes the procurement, construction, installation and commissioning of a 5,802-tonne central processing platform; a 1,298-tonne wellhead platform; a 1.7-mile-long, 0.8-foot diameter infield flowline; and installation of remote control facilities at the onshore receiving facilities. 

"We are very pleased to undertake this competitively tendered project for Petronas in Indonesia," McDermott Asia Pacific's Senior Vice President and General Manager, Scott Cummins, said in a statement. "Winning this project is not only a strong testament of our capabilities; it also shows the client's confidence in our ability to deliver the best value."

Procurement engineering has already started and fabrication of the facilities will take place at the McDermott Batam yard in Indonesia. Transportation and installation will involve a diverse range of vessels from the McDermott fleet, including a 300-class float-over barge that will install the central processing platform's 3,078-tonne topsides. Project completion, including hookup and commissioning, is expected to be 4Q of 2014.

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