Inpex Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Takayuki Ueda revealed that several countries have shown interest in purchasing the gas produced from the Abadi Field in the Masela Block in Tanimbar, Maluku. Japan is mentioned as a primary potential buyer, followed by Malaysia due to Petronas being Inpex’s partner, and then several Asian countries like Taiwan. Ueda also mentioned that other countries such as China and Thailand have expressed interest in buying the energy as well. The Masela Block project is attractive to potential buyers in Asia due to its excellent gas field characteristics, abundant reserves, and the belief that it can meet the energy needs in Asia.
The Masela Block project, with an investment of US$20.94 billion or around Rp342.24 trillion, is projected to produce 9.5 million tons of LNG per year, 150 million cubic feet of pipeline gas per day, and approximately 35,000 barrels of condensate per day. Ueda highlighted that large-scale energy projects in Asia are not very common, with most of the energy supply coming from the United States or Middle Eastern countries like Qatar. Energy from the Abadi LNG Project in Asia is relatively free from geopolitical influence and is geographically close to consumers in Asia, providing efficiency and supply reliability advantages.
The operation of the Masela Block will be managed by Inpex Masela, Ltd as the operator, along with joint venture partners PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Masela (PHE Masela) and Petronas Masela Sdn. Bhd. Ueda expressed confidence that the Abadi Project will attract interest from many potential buyers in the region.
