Balikpapan – PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT) has initiated the development drilling of two infill wells at the Kerindingan Field, located offshore in the Makassar Strait, East Kalimantan, from February to March 2026. This drilling activity is part of the Company’s strategic efforts to manage mature fields and sustain PHKT’s oil and gas operations and production by optimizing the reserve potential of fields already in operation.

Kerindingan Field is one of the offshore fields within PHKT’s Northern Operation Area/Daerah Operasi Bagian Utara (DOBU). The field was discovered through the drilling of the KER-1 exploration well in 1972 and began production in 1976. Since then, field development has been carried out gradually. As of July 2025, 34 wells had been drilled, achieving significant cumulative production. Currently, Kerindingan Field is one of the 14 fields managed by PHKT.

PHKT General Manager, Darmapala, stated that the Company continues to invest in exploitation activities by drilling new wells to add reserves, improve recovery, mitigate natural production decline, and maintain production levels in mature oil and gas fields. “To ensure project economic viability, we implement best engineering practices in every drilling activity. This approach ensures that safety remains the top priority while improving drilling speed and cost efficiency,” Darmapala added.

An infill well is an additional well drilled between existing wells to increase reserve recovery and optimize production from reservoirs that still hold potential. The development concept focuses on producing reserves at the structural crest that have not yet been monetized through existing wells. “The plan to drill these two infill wells is a continuation of the success of previous drilling activities,” he explained.

According to him, this development program is expected to help increase production and strengthen the field’s contribution to the Company’s performance in 2026. Through a data-driven technical approach and the implementation of best operational standards, PHKT remains committed to optimizing the utilization of oil and gas potential in mature fields, in line with the Company’s vision and mission to become a leading national energy company supporting the sustainability of oil and gas production for Indonesia’s energy availability and resilience.

PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT) is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) that manages upstream oil and gas operations and business activities in accordance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in the East Kalimantan & Attaka Working Area in East Kalimantan. Through collaboration with SKK Migas, PHKT, together with other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates, continues to develop innovations and technology applications to produce safe, efficient, reliable, compliant, and environmentally friendly energy to realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. Further information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.