Heaptalk, Jakarta — Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT) conducts a pilot project for the decommissioning of a gas platform off the coast of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. The project is a realization of the government-to-government collaboration between the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea.
Previously, the two countries agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the Offshore Activity Services Industry in 2021 and the Implementing Arrangement in 2022. As Cooperation Contract Contractor (KKKS) of the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business (SKK Migas), Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur teams up with KHAN Offshore, an engineering procurement construction company from South Korea.
“In the collaboration of Indonesia and Korea, we expected a transfer of knowledge and technology until Indonesia can carry out upstream oil and gas decommissioning projects independently in the future,” said the Head of SKK Migas Dwi Soetjipto in Jakarta (16/11).
SKK Migas is involved as a project support committee along with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
Decommissioning of oil and gas platforms is a series of activities for dismantling equipment, installations, and supporting facilities including permanent closing of wells, site restoration and handling of disposal or removal of equipment, installations, and facilities in upstream oil and gas business activities carried out before or at the end of the cooperation contract.
The decommissioning activities began on September 27, 2022, carried out by the Hyundai 2500 Ship. The process included cutting four conductors on the Attaka EB platform. On November 4, 2022, the cutting of four conductors and a riser was completed. The further process covered cutting the platform’s top side which was completed on November 8, 2022. Then, three legs of the jacket structure were cut and completed on November 14, 2022.
“At the end of the demolition process, the parts from the platform are hauled off and taken to an area near the conservation area off the coast of Bontang, East Kalimantan, to be used as an artificial reef. This is implemented to support the conservation of coral reefs and marine ecosystems and encourage the implementation of Rig-to-Reef in Indonesian waters,” Dwi explained.
Dwi further conveyed that the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries will then monitor the development of the Rig-to-Reef activity which is expected to become a benchmark in the implementation of other upstream oil and gas decommissioning projects.
“The decommissioning project is a series of SKK Migas’ strategic plans, as part of the upstream oil and gas obligations in terms of environmental restoration after operations are completed,” said Dwi. Next, another decommissioning project will be carried out in the North West Java Offshore Working Area and West Seno Field.
