Pertamina East Natuna has entered the rig market in search of a floating drilling unit for its planned exploration campaign in the North Natuna Sea, with the Indonesian operator now targeting a spud date between December 2026 and March 2027.

The Pertamina upstream subsidiary has opened prequalification for floating drilling rig services at East Natuna. Contractors wishing to take part must confirm that their rig is currently located in Southeast Asia and is able to meet the new drilling window.

The tender closes on September 2 and includes a minimum Indonesian content requirement of 20%, a condition consistent with the local content rules that apply across Indonesia's oil and gas contracting regime.

The revised timetable marks a shift from the earlier programme. Pertamina East Natuna informed the Natuna regional government last September that it had secured approval and budget for one exploration well and was aiming for a start on June 19, 2026.

The East Natuna block covers approximately 10,484 sq km in water depths of 130 to 150 metres, roughly 270 km from Natuna Besar. Pertamina East Natuna holds 100% of the acreage under a 30-year production sharing contract that began in June 2023. The Natuna area is one of Indonesia's largest undeveloped gas provinces, and the Indonesian government has repeatedly identified Natuna-area development as part of broader efforts to bolster domestic energy supply; the region's gas resources, however, are known to carry high CO2 content, a technical challenge that has long complicated development plans in the area.

Ahead of selecting and drilling its first exploration target, the operator previously acquired around 1,166 sq km of 3D seismic data over the acreage, the standard precursor to well targeting. Whether the December 2026–March 2027 window holds will depend on the rig prequalification outcome and subsequent contracting schedule.