Claims Of Warim Potential Are Larger Than Masela, Migas Practition: Don't Make Speculation Without Data

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is developing oil and gas exploration in five areas, including Warim Basin, which is located in Papua.

The oil and gas potential in this basin is considered quite large and is estimated to exceed the Masela Block in Maluku.

Responding to this, oil and gas practitioner Hadi Ismoyo said Warim's potential was indeed great but he asked the government not to cause speculation with a bombastic number without verified data.

"Even though there are no wells or wells, they are also supported by a few seismic ones," he said in the Energy Corner quoted on Tuesday, February 14.

Hadi added that the government still needs to carry out many exploration stages to prove the potential reserves contained in Warim Basin.

"So we need a lot of exploration efforts to prove that this reserve is that big. So it's still far away," continued Hadi.

Regarding the claim of the Acting Head of the SKK Migas Program and Communication Division, Mohammad Kemal, who said that there were investors who looked at the potential for oil and gas reserves at Warim, Hadi said, the interest could be based on the terms and conditions that would later be offered by the government because the development of Warim which is located at sea has a high risk and requires a large amount of money.

"To exploit the Block at Warim, it requires all drilling tools to be carried by helicopter. It's unusually expensive. If it turns out that the terms and conditions are not profitable and the government is stingy in giving tax and splits, then security guarantees, easy bureaucratic and licensing guarantees, they will not be able to hang onto t&c," concluded Hadi.

Just so you know, the Director General of Oil and Gas at Tutuka Ariadji estimates that the potential for Warim's resources is quite large, even exceeding the Masela Block.

"The size is giant. The potential resources is bigger than Masela," he said.

However, there are challenges in the development of Warim, such as its location close to the National Park. Lorentz.

The government is currently trying to recalculate its potential outside the park.

"We try to approach outside the park, whether it's still big or not that's the size of our target," said Tutuka.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is working with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK) to resolve obstacles.