Kuwait's Kufpec, a unit of state-owned KPC, has won approval from the Indonesian government for a plan of development for the Anambas gas field located in the West Natuna Sea offshore Indonesia.
The Anambas field is located in the Natuna basin and has an estimated gas output of about 55mn ft³/d. Kufpec will invest around $1.54bn into the development of the field, which is planned to come on stream in 2028.
The approved plan of development outlines a phased strategy to unlock the gas and condensate potential of the field, said upstream regulator SKK Migas. The regulator will encourage Kufpec to accelerate efforts and bring the project on stream by the fourth quarter of 2027, said the head of SKK Migas, Djoko Siswanto.
The development of the field will include drilling production wells and installing subsea pipelines to transport gas from Anambas to existing facilities in the West Natuna transportation system.
Kufpec in 2022 announced the discovery of gas and condensate at the Anambas-2X well in the Anambas block. The Anambas block was awarded to Kufpec Indonesia in 2019 through a bidding process. The company holds a 100pc participating interest in the block and has a 30-year production sharing licence, including a six-year exploration period.
The approval of the plan of development marks a step towards the project's final investment decision. It also shows that the upstream oil and gas sector in Indonesia is still attractive to domestic and foreign firms, said Djoko. The field is expected to be able to transport gas to domestic and regional markets, support Indonesia's energy security, and drive economic growth, according to SKK Migas.
Indonesia continues to prioritise oil and gas expansion to maintain economic growth. Investment in oil and gas rose from $14.9bn in 2023 to $17.5bn in 2024, according to the country's energy ministry.