The discovery of the 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas at the Tuna-1 well, located around 100 nautical miles off Turkey's Black Sea coast, was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Aug. 21.
“Not many people have the knowledge and experiences in wireline drilling, that is why we are hired to work here and to train the local staff [in Turkey],” said Beni Kusuma Atmaja, 30, a wireline drilling engineer from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in West Java.
Wire drilling is mostly used for ultra-deep boreholes, which provides the most efficient core sample extraction from the rock mass for oil and natural gas discovery.
Beni and seven other Indonesians, namely Randyka Komala, 33; Bahriansyah Hutabarat, 41; Rifani Hakim, 43; Dian Suluh Priambodo, 33; Hardiyan, 42; Indra Ari Wibowo, 30; and Ravi Mudiatmoko, 42, were listed as expert staff working for Turkiye Petrolleri Offshore Technology Center belonging to Turkey’s national oil company, Turkish Petroleum (TPAO).
“The contribution given by these eight young Indonesians needs to be appreciated. It should be an example for young people in Indonesia to pursue wider knowledge and achieve great things,” said the Indonesian consul general in Istanbul, Imam As’ari.
Imam added that Beni and his colleagues had proved how Indonesians could also be competitive in the labor market of high-tech industries.
“It has become a commitment of the Indonesian Consulate General in Istanbul to enhance the number of formal and skilled workers from Indonesia in Turkey,” he said.
President Erdogan also thanked and congratulated all stakeholders who took part in the discovery. He said he expected the gas field to start operations in 2023 to coincide with Turkey’s 100-year anniversary.
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