RRI.CO.ID, Balikpapan - PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) under Pertamina Hulu Energi, part of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, has begun developing the Manpatu exploration well offshore Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

PHM General Manager Setyo Sapto Edi said on Monday, March 30, 2026, that development of the discovery in the South Mahakam offshore field is ongoing.

The project is located about 35 kilometers off the coast of Balikpapan, in waters 50 to 60 meters deep. Facilities under construction are designed to handle gas flows of up to 80 million metric standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD).

The project has entered the load-out phase of the platform frame from the fabrication facility of PT Meindo Elang Indah in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, on March 26, 2026.

This marks the initial step before the frame is shipped and installed in the Mahakam operational area in the Makassar Strait, which falls within the waters of Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan Province.

The topside is scheduled to follow in mid-April 2026, with installation of the entire platform targeted for completion in early Q3, between July and mid-August 2026.

“There will also be construction of the topside with a total weight of approximately 2,400 tons, as well as the installation of about 2.5 kilometers of subsea pipelines and the drilling of 11 development wells,” Setyo said, as quoted by Antara.

PHM, which manages operations in the Mahakam working area, reported that the Manpatu project has achieved progress in the use of local components. For the first time in the Mahakam region, the production pipeline from subsea to platform connections uses domestic products.

The company also recorded more than two million man-hours of work without a lost-time incident (LTI) as of March 2026.

The Manpatu project is categorized as a fast-track project, with facilities targeted to begin production in the first quarter of 2027. Work has been carried out under a strict schedule since the gas discovery in 2022. ***