Indonesia’s Oil Giant Pertamina Partners with 4 African Nations for Oil Including Kenya
This week, the oil and gas behemoth Pertamina Group accompanied Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on a working trip to Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa.
Nicke Widyawati, president and director of Pertamina, stated that her side presented several cooperation initiatives in the upstream, midstream, downstream, and geothermal sectors and was able to secure four commitments with four African nations during the visit.
In Kenya, Africa Geothermal International Limited (AGIL) and the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) signed two cooperation agreements.
Pertamina subsidiaries PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Tbk (PGEO) and Pertamina Upstream subsidiary PT Pertamina International Exploration and Production (PIEP) signed the agreements.
“Pertamina creates opportunities for cooperation, and Africa has the necessary commerce for Pertamina. Nicke issued a written statement on Friday, August 25, 2023, stating, “We have the experience, skills, and capacity to do it.”
Nicke emphasized that the Pertamina Group prioritizes cooperation beneficial to Indonesia. [We possess] the desire to carry the barrels home. She explained that Pertamina’s footprint in the upstream sector is to increase production so that it can be refined in Pertamina’s domestic refineries, thereby enhancing our national energy security.
Pertamina and the Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC) inked a memorandum of understanding in Tanzania regarding upstream and downstream oil and gas exploration and production in the region.
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The agreement was signed in the presence of the two chiefs of state, President Jokowi and President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania.
President Jokowi also asked Pertamina to administer the Mnazi Bay gas block and convert natural gas into chemicals and fertilizers.
In Mozambique, PIEP and Buzi Hydrocarbons Pte. Ltd. (BHPL) signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the potential in the oil and gas sector from upstream to downstream, including gas-fired power facilities.
Before the visit, Pertamina also signed a memorandum of understanding with GUMA for cooperation in Kenya, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This commitment was consistent with cooperation in the development and optimization of South Africa’s gas pipelines, gas-fired power plants, and electricity export facilities.
Pertamina would involve other subsidiaries, such as oil and gas service providers PT Pertamina Drilling Service and PT Elnusa Tbk, as well as Pertamina New Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE), in some of the existing collaborations.
Nicke disclosed that the African initiatives reflected Pertamina’s function as a state-owned enterprise (SOE) in fulfilling the government’s mandate to strengthen bilateral ties, as well as efforts to expand global business potential.
“We hope that all cooperations can bring benefits to all parties, especially Pertamina and Indonesia because we have the ‘bring the barrels home’ spirit,” said Nicke, referring to the fact that Pertamina’s overseas expansion must benefit the people of Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Oil Giant Pertamina Partners with 4 African Nations for Oil Including Kenya