First in Asia, Pertamina Upstream Subholding Survey Oil and Gas Area Using eFTG Technology
Jakarta, October 5, 2021 – The upstream oil and gas industry continues to find sources of oil and gas reserves. Recently, through the fulfillment of the Firm Commitment (KKP) of the Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) Jambi Merang Cooperation Contract Contractors (KKKS) in open areas, Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Bussiness (SKK Migas) and PHE Jambi Merang will carry out a geophysical survey using enhanced Full Tensor Gradiometry (eFTG) technology in the Bintuni Basin and Salawati, West Papua for 23,000 km and covers an area of 45,000 km2. The eFTG survey activity is scheduled to start on October 12, 2021.
In the survey, Jambi Merang PHE KKKS, in collaboration with PT Mahakarya Geo Survey and AustinBridgeporth, will use a modified and modernized DC3 Turbo Prop survey aircraft. It will be equipped with eFTG with an integrated scalar gravimeter, magnetometer, and LiDAR VUX1-LR system. LiDAR data with a sweep angle of 180 degrees will provide accurate gravitational field data correction, mapping of surface geological features, and additional information for planning exploration activities.
An inspection of the reliability and equipment of survey aircraft facilities was done at Pondok Cabe Airport, Banten, on Monday (4/10/21). During the inspection, Agung Prasetyo (the Head of the Technical Team for the Technical Geophysical Survey and Vice President of Pertamina’s New Venture Upstream Subholding) said that it is Pertamina commitment to carry out exploration activities in existing, frontier, or new ventures areas continuously to find potential new hydrocarbon reserves.
“In addition to the Bintuni-Salawati Basin, PHE is currently conducting the largest FTG survey in Indonesia in another frontier basin in Papua with a length of more than 31,000 km and covering an area of 60,000 km2. The progress has reached more than 50% in collaboration with Rubotori Indonesia and Bell Geospace,” added Agung.
Meanwhile, Mark Davies (Austinbridgeporth CEO), who also attended the equipment inspection, said, “This eFTG survey is the first to be conducted in Indonesia, even Asia. The eFTG survey is the latest generation of gravity gradiometers that can provide a variety of improvements in sensitivity and resolution that exceed previous generation FTG technology,” he said.
Rinto Pudyantoro (Head of the Program and Communications Division of SKK Migas) said that this survey was part of a series of massive upstream oil and gas exploration activities in the past two years. “The commitment of exploration activities is carried out by SKK Migas together with KKKS. It is a form of implementing one of SKK Migas’ long-term plans to support the national production vision in 2030, namely maximizing exploration activities,” he said.
Rinto added that currently, there are several other ongoing activities from KKP, namely the 2D Vibroseismic Survey on Java Island, the Seismic Survey in the central and eastern Indonesian Sea areas and Natuna, and the Iwur-Akimeugah FTG. “There is also a program that has been completed, namely the 31,908 km2 2D Seismic Survey, which was carried out in 2019. Currently, the data is being reviewed before being submitted to the government,” he continued.
On a separate occasion, Medy Kurniawan (Director of Exploration of Pertamina Upstream Subholding) said that with the application of the latest technology in exploration activities at Pertamina, including eFTG, his party hopes to get accurate data that can increase the opportunity to get significant discovery of oil and gas reserves in the future.