Offshore staff
(Asia-Pacific) - ExxonMobil Corp. has bid for Indonesian offshore blocks in the Makassar Straits, despite a continuing dispute over its role in the Cepu block on Java island.
In June last year, Indonesia offered 27 new exploration areas, for which eight contracts were signed in October.
"We have submitted a bid for two offshore blocks, Pasangkayu and Surumana, in Makassar Straits," says ExxonMobil Indonesia VP Maman Budimans.
The government had said that for Pasangkayu and Surumana, any oil find would be split 65% for the government and 35% for the contractor.
Any gas find would be split 60%, government, and 40%, contractor.
Negotiations for the Cepu block have stalled because of disagreement over who should operate the field, with Pertamina arguing it and ExxonMobil should share the task and the US company saying it is the rightful operator.
02/16/06
