Prabowo set to inaugurate groundbreaking of Abadi LNG project mid-July

President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to inaugurate the groundbreaking of the Abadi LNG project in the Masela Block in mid July, marking the start of development of one of the country's largest natural gas projects, upstream oil, gas regulator SKK Migas said.

SKK Migas Chairman Djoko Siswanto said preparations are being finalized through coordination with various parties, including the groundbreaking committee led by the Commander of the Pattimura Regional Military Command.

"We are currently coordinating with the chairman of the groundbreaking committee at Soekarno Hatta Airport. Logistics are being transported from the airport to the project site in Saumlaki, Maluku," Djoko said in a statement on Monday.

He said around 93 tonnes of logistics, including tents, carpets, generators, air conditioners and other supporting equipment, are being delivered to the site, with part of the cargo transported by sea.

The Abadi field in the Masela Block is Indonesia's largest undeveloped deepwater gas field, located about 160 kilometers offshore Yamdena Island in the Arafura Sea at water depths of 400 to 800 meters. The field is estimated to contain 6.97 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.

The Masela production sharing contract, originally signed in 1998 and extended until 2055, is designed to produce 9.5 million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 150 million standard cubic feet per day of pipeline gas and about 35,000 barrels per day of condensate.

The greenfield development will include deepwater drilling, subsea production facilities, a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit and an onshore LNG plant. The project is also expected to create up to 10,000 jobs during its development phase.

The Masela Block is operated by INPEX Masela Ltd with a 65% participating interest.

Editing by Alexander Ginting