something to read whilst we wait, page-15

The first round of auctions for 18 oil and gas blocks, located mostly in the eastern half of the country, has been initiated by the government.

Sixteen blocks were being offered through direct bids and the two others through regular tender, the Oil and Gas Directorate General at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry announced in a statement on Monday.

The blocks being offered through direct bids include the Palmerah Baru onshore block in South Sumatra and Jambi; the Sakti offshore block in Central Java and East Java; the North Madura II offshore block; the North East Madura VI offshore block; the Anugerah offshore block in East Java; the East Bontang onshore and offshore blocks in East Kalimantan, and the North Adang offshore block in Makassar Strait, according to Antara news agency.

Other blocks being offered through direct bids are the South Sulawesi I offshore block in West Sulawesi and South Sulawesi; the South Sulawesi II offshore block in South Sulawesi; the Southeast Sulawesi I offshore block in Southeast Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi, and the Southeast Sulawesi II offshore block in Southeast Sulawesi.

The West Abadi offshore block; the Yamdena offshore block; the South Aru offshore block in Maluku; the Bird's Head offshore block in West Papua, and the Merauke onshore block in Papua are also among those being offered through direct bids.

The two blocks offered via regular tender are the East Seringapatam offshore block in East Nusa Tenggaran (NTT) and the East Abadi offshore block in Maluku.

Bid documents for the regular tenders are open to bidders from Sept. 16 to Jan. 27, 2014, and participation documents must be submitted before Jan. 27, 2014.

Bidders can claim documents for the direct bids from Sept. 16 to Oct. 30 this year, and participation documents must be submitted before Oct. 31, 2013.