Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will soon auction 21 oil and gas blocks to increase reserves in the future, Director General of Oil and Gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Edy Hermantoro said.

The blocks consisted of 13 conventional blocks and 8 non-conventional blocks, he said at the closing ceremony of Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) convention and exhibition here on Friday.

"We hope investors will take part in the auction," he said.

The 13 conventional oil and gas blocks offered in the first round of auction in 2014 include six blocks offered through direct bids. They are North Central Java Offshore off the Central Java coast, Kualakurun in Central Kalimantan, Garung in and off Central Kalimantan, Offshore Pulau Moa Selatan off the Maluku coast, Dolok in and off Papua coast, and Southeast Papua in Papua.

Five blocs will be offered under a regular auction scheme. They are North Madura II off East Java, Yamdena off Maluku, South Aru II off Maluku, Aru Trough I off Maluku, and Aru Trough II off Maluku.

The remaining two blocks will be directly offered by state oil and gas company PT Pertamina, according to regulation of the energy and mineral resources minister number 35 of 2008.

The two blocks are Abar off Jakarta and the West Java northern coast and Anggursi off West Java and the Central Java northern coasts.

Edy said three of the non-conventional blocks will be offered directly. They are Sakakemang Deep in South Sumatra, Selat Panjang Deep in Riau, and Palmerah Deep in South Sumatra.

Two blocks will be offered directly by Pertamina: Jambi 1 Deep and Jambi 2 Deep both in Jambi.

The remaining three blocks of Shinta in South Sumatra, North Tarakan in East Kalimantan, and Kutai in East Kalimantan will be offered under a regular scheme.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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