Indonesia Revives Tuna Gas Field Project with Russian Partner Amid Geopolitical Concerns
L'essentiel
- Indonesia's Prime Group has resumed activities for the Tuna gas field project, which involves Russian state-owned Zarubezhneft as a 50% partner.
- The project faces potential geopolitical challenges due to its location in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, where China has previously objected to drilling, and complications from sanctions on Russia.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Prime Group took over operatorship of the Tuna PSC from Britain’s Harbour Energy. The Tuna field is located within Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone in waters where Beijing has previously objected to Jakarta’s drilling activity.
Prime Group, the Indonesian company that took over operatorship from Britain’s Harbour Energy, told This Week in Asia that “activities associated with the Tuna PSC have resumed in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements”. The PSC – production-sharing contract – is the agreement governing development of the gas field, named Tuna after the licensed offshore area in which the project sits.
The Tuna field lies within Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone in waters where Beijing has previously objected to Jakarta’s drilling activity. Its revival also depends on a Russian state-owned partner, at a time when sanctions and compliance concerns have complicated energy investment.
Jakarta is expected to try keeping the project low profile, but Russia’s involvement, commercial doubts and uncertainty over Prabowo’s China policy could prove as consequential as any response from Beijing.
Job notices posted by Prime Group via its subsidiaries on oil and gas recruitment sites offer a clue to the project’s next steps. They show the company has been recruiting for several Tuna-related roles linked to early engineering work for offshore production facilities, with that work planned for September. The notices do not indicate whether any work has resumed at sea.
Indonesia’s energy ministry said in June that Russian state-owned oil company Zarubezhneft, which holds a 50 per cent stake in the Tuna field through its subsidiary ZN Asia, was ready to continue the delayed project with government support. Prime Group owns the other 50 per cent stake.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
Early engineering work for offshore production facilities will commence in September.
Probable · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- What will be China's response to the project's resumption?
- How will sanctions on Russia impact the project's financing?
- What is Prabowo's specific China policy regarding such projects?
