5 September 2024 – The Korea Maritime and Ocean University Consortium (KMOUC), PT Pertamina (Persero), and PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PT PHE) signed a Joint Study Agreement (JSA) on Decommissioning Feasibility Study of Oil and Gas Offshore Platforms by Re-Utilization Method.

This signing was conducted during the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum 2024 in Jakarta Convention Center, where the Parties were represented and witnessed by Mr. Salyadi Saputra, Director of Strategy, Portfolio, and New Ventures PT Pertamina Persero; Mr. Dannif Utojo Danusaputro, Director of Finance and Investment for PT PHE; Mr. Ilhyung Cho, co-Director of KIORCC; Mr. Jodi Mahardi, Deputy Coordinating Minister for Maritime Sovereignty and Energy of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Republic of Indonesia; and Mr. Enggar Sadtopo, Deputy Director of Marine Services of Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia (MMAF).

This JSA follows the Letter of Intent (LOI) signing on Cooperation for Feasibility Studies on Decommissioning and Re-utilization of Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms between KMOUC, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia (MMAF), PT Pertamina (Persero), and PT Pertamina Hulu Energi in June 2024 in Busan. The LOI signing was part of an Indonesian delegation visit to the Korea Maritime and Ocean University Campus in Busan, after the Bilateral Maritime Dialogue annual event hosted by Korea.

Indonesian and Korean offshore industry players have ambitious collaboration plans to tackle the existing issue of aging platforms in Indonesian waters and their need to be repaired or decommissioned.  Through this collaboration, the Parties hope to study the potential to re-utilize chosen offshore platforms using three available methods, namely Rig-to-CCS, Rig-to-LNG, and Rig-to-Fish-Farm.

The development of this collaboration plan follows the successful implementation of the Rig-to-Reef Pilot Project in 2022, where Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur’s (PHKT) Attaka-EB platform was decommissioned and reefed off the coast of Bontang in East Kalimantan. The reefed platform, through monitoring efforts by the MMAF, shows the positive growth of corals, and steady presence of marine wildlife in and around the reef.

This JSA hopes to not only support the resolution to abandoned offshore platforms in Indonesia, but also to bridge positive collaborations between both nations and industry players, to further develop the offshore service industry.