PT Pertamina Malaysia Exploration Production (PMEP) and its partners won the bid to work on the SK510 exploration block in Malaysia through the annual Malaysia Bid Round (MBR) of 2023. PMEP president director Fuji Koesumadewi signed the collaboration in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, January 23.
Block SK510 covers an area of 1,864 square kilometers, located off the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia. The block is a work area within the upstream asset management portfolio of PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), Pertamina’s subholding in the upstream sector.
PHE’s director of strategic planning and business development, Danar Dojoadhi explained, said that the auction is held annually by Malaysian Petroleum Management (MPM) Petronas, the agency responsible for oil and gas resources in Malaysia.
“We believe that managing the SK510 Block can strengthen PHE’s footprint in Malaysia in an effort to achieve the company’s targets by increasing the growth of oil and gas resources through overseas exploration assets,” Danar said in a written statement, Tuesday, January 23.
Danar said that expanding the company’s working areas (WK) through new exploration blocks, both domestic and international, is very important to maintain the sustainability of fossil energy resources. PHE has also completed the acquisition of oil and gas blocks in several WKs including Peri Mahakam & Bunga in Eastern Indonesia, East Natuna in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Vietnam border area, and Masela in Maluku.
MPM Petronas Senior Vice President, Datuk Ir. Bacho, said Petronas has established a long-term relationship with Pertamina even before the birth of Petronas 50 years ago.
“Today, I am pleased to see that Pertamina continues to expand its portfolio in Malaysian E&P. I hope that this joint effort will continue to maximize the untapped potential in these blocks to support energy transition by building an increasingly sustainable upstream industry,” he said.