Better accessible geothermal data could increase investment in Indonesia?

Drilling rig on site at Sorik Marapi, Indonesia (source: KS Orka)

Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif, assesses that the government needs to play a big role in providing data on geothermal potential. Better accessibility of data could help attract more investment into geothermal development in Indonesia.

According to him, this role is carried out through the contribution of the Geological Agency to Agenda 1, namely by implementing a geothermal exploration program by the government with geoscience surveys (3G) and slim hole drilling in 20 prospect areas.

He explained that the Geological Agency contributed to the achievement of national development goals, especially in the upstream area which included geological disasters, potential geological resources such as minerals, coal, groundwater, oil and gas and geothermal, engineering geology, structural geology and the environment.

“A bigger role is needed from the government in providing data on geothermal potential in the future which is expected to reduce the risk level of geothermal development so that it will attract the role of investors,” he said at the 2021 National Geological Forum, earlier this week.

The Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eko Budi Lelono, said that geology can be called the basis for the development of mineral and energy mining as well as environmental management and geological disaster management. Geological knowledge and information from various geological investigation and exploration activities are basic data for mining material search activities.

“Geological data is also useful for spatial planning, infrastructure development, geological conservation, and geological disaster management,” he said.

Source: Bisnis.com