State-owned oil company PT Pertamina is still waiting for term and conditions of the development of the Natuna D-Alpha block that the government has yet completed so far. "I am still waiting for the real terms and conditions," told President Director of Pertamina Ari Hernanto Soemarno yesterday in responding to questions from reporters asking when the development of the Natuna D-Alpha block would start. When pursued further regarding the plan of development of the gas-rich block, Ari only replied, "We even have yet made resentation. "Pertamina, he continued, so far had yet made a term of reference (TOR) for the block, despite the growing number of companies interested in becoming partners. PTT Thailand, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Eni, Total E&P Indonesie, StatOil, and PETRONAS have expressed their interests in partnering with Pertamina in the Natuna D-Alpha block. "PETRONAS not long ago [Friday] has expressed their interest in Natuna. However, Pertamina cannot talk much since we have yet known about the terms and conditions." However, added Ari, Pertamina opened doors to whichever parties interested in becoming partners.

He emphasized certainty over the terms and conditions would be a requirement to establish Pertamina's partners, which was also crucial to the gas development and marketing of the Natuna D-Alpha block. "Once we have established the partners, we will start the development and be ready to talk about the marketing." He further assured amid the current high gas price and need, it would not be difficult to find buyer for Natuna gas, thus, ensuring the block's scale-of-economies. When asked about the gas product to be sold, Ari replied it would depend on the capacity of the buyer and the margin.

Previously, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the gas development in the Natuna D-Alpha block gained momentum from the soaring global oil price and from the renegotiated sale price of LNG from Indonesia to Japan at US$16 per mmBtu. "With natural gas price of US$16 per mmBtu, we can reconsider developing oil fields in deep sea, such as the Natuna block."

Source :Bisnis Indonesia