The Geological Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) recently revealed a massive oil and gas potential in Warim, a region in Papua.
According to the Head of the Geological Agency, Muhammad Wafid, Warim’s resources could produce up to 1 million barrels of oil per day, comparable to nearby reserves in Papua New Guinea.
However, Wafid noted significant challenges in exploring and exploiting Warim’s oil and gas resources.
The region presents formidable geographic and security obstacles, including rugged mountainous terrain and challenging weather conditions.
“Warim’s exploration isn’t easy due to the security, weather, and geography. We need backup support to overcome these barriers and tap into this potential,” he said, on Monday, November 11, 2024.
Despite these difficulties, Wafid emphasized that Warim’s geological formations suggest significant reserves.
“The continuity of formations in Papua indicates substantial oil and gas deposits,” he added.
Discussions have already begun between the Geological Agency, the Directorate General of Oil and Gas at the ESDM ministry, and the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Task Force (SKK Migas) to determine a path forward for exploration in Warim.
Further insight was provided by Maruf Affandi, Coordinator of the Conventional Oil and Gas Working Group. He revealed that Warim has been divided into two working areas, namely Akimeugah 1 and Akimeugah 2, which are currently being prepared for tender.
According to Maruf, while the difficult terrain presents challenges, the area has promising resources, with potential reserves estimated at around 20 billion barrels.
“Despite the difficult terrain, the resources we have evaluated so far show a promising outlook of approximately 10 billion barrels each,” Maruf told a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
