Minister encourages Pertamina to take over Cepu gas from ExxonMobil

State Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar has encouraged state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina to take over gas exploration at the Cepu Block from US oil giant ExxonMobil.
 
“We’ve been waiting for Cepu [to start production] for too long. I know there’s been progress, but it’s been too slow," Mustafa said Thursday, as quoted by Antara.

Mustafa was speaking to the media after witnessing the signing of an agreement on gas procurement between Pertamina and PLN.
 
“I think any plans for Pertamina to take gas [from the block] and for [state electricity firm] PLN to buy it would be very strategic.”
 
He said the government wanted the Cepu block, situated in a Central Java district bordering with East Java, to start producing gas as soon as possible.
 
PLN managing director Dahlan Iskan supported the idea, saying ExxonMobil was only developing the block “half-heartedly”.
 
“We see that Exxon is half-heartedly developing Cepu gas, maybe because it’s only really interested in the oil. So, why not let Exxon do the oil and Pertamina do the gas?” Dahlan suggested, adding that PLN was ready to buy Cepu gas.