Three oil fields to be announced

MAKASSAR, S. Sulawesi: The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry will soon announce 30 new oil and gas blocks, three of them located in the province, an official said Wednesday.

"There are 30 new blocks ready to be announced this month," the ministry's head of new acreage preparation at the Directorate General of Oil and Gas, Yunan Muzaffar, said.

The three blocks in the province are Karaeng block, a 7.9 square kilometer area in the regencies Janeponto, Takalar, Bulukumba and Bantaeng, the 5.3-square-kilometer Kambuno block in the regencies of Selayar, Bone, Sinjai and Bulukumba and a 5.2-square-kilometer Selayar block in Selayar regency.

Without mentioning the amount of the oil and gas reserves, Yunan said the three offshore blocks had shown an indication of oil and gas reserves based on the ministry's earlier evaluation and surveys.

A Canadian investor will start drilling activity at another block, Segeri block, in Barru regency by the end of this year, he said.

He said a new oil and gas block was also found in Luwu regency, but added it was still in a survey stage. -- JP