Medco Energy, A Mining Company Owned By The Conglomerate Arifin Panigoro, Coordinates Oil And Gas Drilling In Pamekasan

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Sampang Cooperation Contract Contractor, namely Medco Energy Sampang Pty Ltd, has begun to coordinate oil and gas drilling plans in Pamekasan Regency, East Java.

According to the Head of the Environment Agency, Pamekasan Regency Muharram, the location to be drilled is in Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, about seven kilometers to the southeast of Pamekasan City.

"Some time ago on April 12, 2021, representatives of Medco Energy Sampang met with the Pamekasan Regency Government to discuss environmental impact analysis on the company's development of the Blue Whale Field", Muharram said, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, April 21.

This Blue Paus Field is a Field Development (POD) in the Sampang Working Area, East Java by the Sampang Cooperation Contract Contractor, for drilling investment and oil and gas production of $ 80 million in the area.

The investment is planned to be used by the company owned by conglomerate Arifin Panigoro to drill a development well, build a wellhead platform, a subsea pipeline, and modify the existing wellhead platform Oyong facilities and the Grati offshore production facilities.

According to Muharram, the meeting with the Pamekasan Regency Government was initial socialization carried out by the company representatives, as well as asking for suggestions and opinions from the Pamekasan district government and DPRD on the next socialization activity to all elements of society in the region.

"In principle, the Pamekasan Regency Government welcomes this, because the beneficiaries will be the Pamekasan people", he said.

It's just that, he continued, the district government asked that the implementation of drilling and a variety of other activities be mutually beneficial, both from the executor or to the district government and the Pamekasan community.

"The people around the location also feel the principle of the benefits of this drilling, especially the fishermen who have so far used to make a living by catching fish in the sea. The location of this drilling is on the beach", he said.

In addition to drilling, Medco Energy Sampang also delivered other activities to install submarine pipes from the WHP in Paus Biru Field to the existing WHP in Oyong Field. Then, it is flowed to the existing Grati offshore production facilities to separate the liquid and gas phases.

From these activities, it is hoped that the Blue Whale Field can start production activities in 2022 with a gas volume of around 31 million cubic feet per day (MMscfd).

Based on the technical analysis, the production can be maintained until the deadline for the cooperation contract, namely in 2027, and according to the plan, the gas produced will be used for the energy source of the Grati generator.

Meanwhile, the Sampang Block is located in the Madura Strait, East Java. During its operation, the working area has changed operators several times. Starting from Santos then moving to Ophir in 2018 and moving again to Medco in 2019.

Previously, Public Relations of Medco Energy Sampang, Arif Rinaldi, said that the construction of the Paus Biru Gas Field will include drilling and the operation of two wells which will be carried out in Tanjung Village, Pademawu District, Pamekasan.

"We are sure that the potential for gas in Pamekasan will increase state revenues, both the central and local governments. Support from all parties for the success of this program is also very much expected", said Rinaldi.