Govt Faces Difficulty To Raise Oil Output

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - A legislator has said that the government faces difficulties in raising natural oil production in the past several years and in the near future.
        
"Seeing its condition, it would be difficult for the government to increase oil output," Dito Ganinduto of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VII on energy affairs, said here on Sunday.
        
He said the effort to cut production decrease from 10-12 percent to 3.6 percent in 2012 was already an optimal one. According to him, naturally, the decrease of oil production would reach 10 - 12 percent.
        
The Upstream Oil and Gas Regulator (BP Migas) in its report to the DPR Commission VII indicated that the 2012 oil production was estimated to reach 870,000 barrels per day, declining by 3.6 percent compared with the realization in 2011 which reached 902,000 barrels per day.
        
Dito explained that  oil output was expected to increase again when the Banyuurip oil field in Cepu, began production of 165,000 barrels per day in 2014.
        
"It is now difficult to raise production now. The decline by 3.6 percent of oil output in 2012 is already an optimal effort," he said.(*/M038/T007)