Evita Legowo, director general of oil and gas affairs at the energy and mineral resources ministry, said here Monday the signing would be done on the occasion of the opening of the Indogas Exhibition and Conference here on Tuesday.
"We are still finalizing the contracts which will be signed tomorrow," she said.
She said the government had so far already signed 23 cooperation contracts to develop coal bed methane blocks.
The government expected coal bed methane (CBM) production to be able to meet the needs of power plants in 2011. This year the government planned to offer 10 CBM blocks.
Besides CBM the government would also offer 50 blocks of oil and gas fields in two auction rounds in 2011.
She said 39 of the 50 oil and gas blocks would be offered through a regular tender mechanism and 11 others through direct offering.
In 2010 the government targeted 43 oil and gas work regions but only 21 had been realized due to limited data on especially offshore working regions that were offered.
She said of the 43 working regions 18 would be offered in the first round and 24 others in the second round.
The first round of offering to cover 18 blocks would consist of six for direct offering and 12 through a regular tender while of the 24 blocks in the second round seven would be offered through direct offering and 17 through a regular tender.
In 2010 the government meanwhile had also signed four extension oil and gas working contracts and three CBM contracts.
Total exploration and investment commitments of the blocks in 2010 reached US$265.34 million plus a signing bonus of US$37.8 million.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
