Kutai Kartanegara– PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) with the support of SKK Migas, PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), and PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) as the parent company, held the Steel First Cut Ceremony for the Bekapai Artificial Lift (BKPAL) Project by applying innovation and technology in the form of a project to install the Gas Lift Compressor Package and various supporting components, by modifying several existing platforms in the Bekapai Field off the coast of East Kalimantan (28/08/2023).

This project has been carried out since December 1 2022, by the contractor PT Meindo Elang Indah, involving 100% local workers. Through this Steel First Cut Ceremony, the fabrication stage has begun and will be followed by the offshore installation, commissioning and start-up stages. All work is planned to be completed in February 2024.

The ceremony was attended by the Head of the SKK Migas Kalimantan Sulawesi (KalSul) Operations Department, Deddy Hidayat, VP Production & Project PHE Iman Budi Hartawan, Senior Manager Projects PHM Alfie Hujiansyah, as well as other management staff, held offline at PT Meindo Elang Indah in Handil, District Samboja, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan.

In his speech, PHM General Manager Setyo Sapto Edi revealed that the Bekapai Artificial Lift Project aims to increase oil production from the Bekapai Field. "This project is one of the Company's efforts to implement innovation and technology that is useful for halting the rate of natural decline in production and maintaining oil and gas production levels in mature fields," explained Edi.

This project is awaited for completion according to the planned time because it is hoped to increase oil production from the Bekapai Field.
"We continue to apply innovation and technological applications in maintenance, repair and reactivation of oil and gas wells, resulting in higher productivity and longer well life." said Edi.

Apart from that, Edi also touched on the work safety aspect, which is the Company's main value and believes that everyone has an important role in implementing the principles of policies, regulations and best practices in the safety field so that zero accidents or zero incidents can be achieved.

Head of the SKK Migas Kalimantan Sulawesi Operations Department, Deddy Hidayat, welcomed PHM's efforts to maintain production levels at the Mahakam WK. "This is one part of the efforts of SKK Migas and Cooperation Contract Contractors (KKKS) to realize the production target of 1 million barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and 12 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD) by 2030," said Deddy.

Deddy also explained that the Bekapai Artificial Lift Project resulted from implementing SKK Migas' first strategy: Maintaining Existing Production Levels. "With this additional facility, it is hoped that efforts to maintain oil supplies can be achieved and there will be additional production in the Bekapai Field of 2.5 million barrels (MMbbl) of oil and 1.4 billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas," he added.

VP Production & Project PHE, Iman Budi Hartawan, hopes that the Bekapai Artificial Lift Project will be able to increase the production life of the wells that originate on the BG and BL platforms until 2030 so that the same approach can be applied to other wells in the Bekapai Field.

"Technically, this project is quite challenging, because the engineers at PHM have to modify a platform that has previously been modified. Another challenge is that this project must still be completed on time, so that the economy is maintained." said Faith.

PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) is a subsidiary of PHI, which carries out upstream oil and gas operations and business according to ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) principles in the Mahakam Working Area in East Kalimantan. PHM, together with other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates, continue to carry out various innovations and technological applications in producing safe, efficient, reliable, compliant and environmentally friendly energy to realize #EnergyKalimantanForIndonesia. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.