REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, Jakarta -- The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources has asked all parties to wait for the President's decision with regards to the exploitation of the Masela Block gas field in Maluku.

"Let us just wait for President Joko Widodo's decision," he said after meeting with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Thursday.

He said President Widodo had heard all inputs regarding the exploitation of natural gas field in the Masela Block, which is believed to be the largest in the country.

He said his office as the executor a presidential decision could only wait while hoping it could be taken immediately.

"The President has listened to all arguments regarding whether the exploitation should be carried out offshore or onshore. I as the executor can only wait for the decision and we hope the President can take it immediately," he said.

Until now, he said there had not been any specific talk on which scheme was better for the exploitation of the field.

"Until now there has not been any specific talk about it. If you ask me about it, my answer would be the same that President Jokowi (Joko Widodo) has heard all your arguments and so let us just wait for his decision," he said.

An observer of Timor Sea, Ferdi Tanoni, said he hoped President Widodo would review any idea to carry out the project offshore, citing the Timor Sea case.

"We must learn from the Timor Sea case that according to information I obtained, the oil refinery that has been built offshore has caused the Timor Leste government to suffer losses," he said.

He said, according to information, production at the refinery has been manipulated by the company that operates it by not telling exactly the total production of the refinery per year.

This must not happen on Indonesia because if it does the impact would be the same as what Timor Leste has experienced, he said.

"Manipulation must not be allowed to happen. With an offshore refinery the company that operates may possibly report that production only reaches five barrels a day, while in fact it reaches 10 barrels. This will result in losses for the Indonesian government," he said.

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