State-owned oil and gas giant PT Pertamina and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) have implemented a CO2 injection program for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage-Enhanced Oil Recovery (CCUS-EOR) in a kick-off ceremony at the Jatibarang Field JTB-161 on-site, West Java, on October 26, 2022.
Pertamina is focusing on mining oil and natural gas in Indonesia. Its activity includes the downstream and upstream business in energy and petrochemicals. The company was established in 1957. Currently, Nicke Widyawati has chaired the company since 2018.
Meanwhile, JOGMEC is a Japanese government institution that was established in 2004. It was a merger between Metal Mining Agency and Japan National Oil Corporation. The company was tasked with maintaining a steady supply of oil and natural gas for Japan’s domestic market.
CO2 injection kicks off successfully
The CO2 Injection’s objective is to form the initial milestone for the CO2 utilization roadmap for Enhanced Oil Recovery and Decarbonization achievement and confirm well and reservoir performance in regards to CO2 Injection simulation on the planned design.
Its design will inject CO2 gas with a volume reaching 200 tons or 80 tons per day, a pressure of 500 psi, and a soaking period of 7 days.
The injection process will involve the huff and puff method – a method when injecting CO2 bypassing the oil and displacing movable water and oil. Then, there will be a soak period where oil swells in volume and intermediate hydrocarbons will be extracted into the CO2. Oil production will occur as a result of CO2 injection.
“We hope the production can keep growing and sustainable,” Pertamina Senior Vice President (SVP) of Research & Technology Innovation, Okky Muraza, said.
In the future, Pertamina is also keen on surveying more possibilities, starting in the entire vicinity of Jatibarang for other oil deposits, said Tutuka Ariadji, the company’s Director General of Oil and Gas.
Facility risks
Unfortunately, Pertamina had previously experienced serious problems due to facility issues in two of its refineries in Indramayu, such as in the 2019 oil spill and the 2021 fire of Balongan oil refinery, and in 2016 when the Jatibarang oil well was burnt.
“Fire occurred at well RDG-47 during well repair with Rig Pumpindo PEP 08,” said Muhammad Baron, Public Relations Manager of Pertamina EP, which is a subsidiary of Pertamina in the upstream business.
In 2020, a waste pipe owned by Pertamina from Jatibarang Field Asset III in Indramayu was damaged and spilled the oil into the sea.
Communication Officer RU VI from Balongan, Agustiawan, explained the damage occurred when a fisherman’s boat passed in the vicinity of the pipeline, which caused the pipe to move about and spilled the crude oil waste contents.
On the other hand, oil refinery safety has a significant social and environmental impact. According to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) there was an explosion at the Balongan refinery on March 29, 2021, which is 16.6 kilometers from Jatibarang refinery. The explosion caused significant damage to the environment due to a big fire, which forced 700 people to flee from their houses.
Walhi West Java branch Executive Director Meiki W. Paendong said the NGO was concerned by the explosion as it had the potential to impact the air quality in the area due to the fire and smoke around the vicinity of the refinery.
