Jakarta. The upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas revealed that Indonesia hosted two of last year's largest global natural gas discoveries, highlighting its significant role in the energy transition.

"Indonesia still possesses abundant natural gas resources. Last year, among the five largest gas discoveries globally, two were located in Indonesia," said Kurnia Chairi, Deputy for Finance and Commercialization at SKK Migas, during a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

The discoveries include the Geng North-1 well in East Kalimantan's North Ganal area and the Layaran-1 well in the South Andaman Block, north of Sumatra. These findings follow Indonesia's notable Abadi Field discovery in 2000.

Geng North-1 holds approximately 5 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas, while the South Andaman Block boasts over 6 TCF. Mubadala Energy manages the South Andaman Block, with ENI overseeing Geng North operations.

Kurnia stressed natural gas's crucial role in the energy transition, anticipating rising demand in Indonesia. Currently, West Java faces unmet gas demand due to declines in supply from South Sumatra and West Java. Conversely, East Java and Central Java experience excess supply due to uptake inefficiencies, prompting Kurnia to advocate synergy among stakeholders for optimized gas utilization.

Rayendra Sidik, Head of Oil and Gas Commercialization at SKK Migas, highlighted the need for pipeline infrastructure development, particularly in Dumai-Sei Mangke, Cirebon-Semarang, and the West Natuna Transportation System to Batam. He emphasized infrastructure's role in ensuring certainty for investors and optimizing gas supply from contractor-operated fields (KKKS).

SKK Migas plans to host the Gas Forum 2024 in Bandung on June 19-20, focusing on enhancing gas uptake in West Java, East Java, and Central Java. Rayendra aims to address East Java's surplus gas through diverse strategies.