IATMI Builds Indonesian Professional and Technical Competence
Authors: JPT staff _ 
Published: February 2015

Society Spotlight

Editor's note: SPE seeks to develop strong relationships with other oil and gas societies worldwide. Many of these societies partner with SPE and other organizations on conferences, work-shops, and other programs, at both the local and international levels. This series offers an overview of some of these societies. This third installment in the series spotlights Ikatan Ahli Teknik Perminyakan Indonesia, the Society of Indonesian Petroleum Engineers, commonly known as IATMI.

Ikatan Ahli Teknik Perminyakan Indonesia (IATMI), the Society of Indonesian Petroleum Engineers, is a nonprofit professional and social organization founded in Jakarta in June 1979 by a group of Indonesian professional engineers working in the petroleum and geothermal sectors. The organization, which maintains its headquarters in Jakarta, currently has more than 3,000 members. It has eight chapters in Indonesia and several overseas chapters, including locations in Oman, Kuala Lumpur, and Houston.

IATMI's vision is to partner with government, industry, and universities to create and optimize potential synergies in the oil and gas industry based on Indonesian technical and professional competence. It sees its mission as one to improve the professionalism and technical competence of the Indonesian petroleum engineer and to become globally recognized as a leading Indonesian professional society that benefits the nation.

The organization is headed by a chairperson who is elected for a 2-year term during the organization's congress and an executive manager. In addition, coordinators are selected for the organization's major activities and functions, including conferences, membership, publications, and website. The chairperson of IATMI for 2008–2010 is Bagus Sudaryanto.

IATMI's growth has been steady since its formation. In 1992, the organization's first local chapter, in Jakarta, was formed, and in 1997 the IATMI Foundation was created. A Houston chapter, the first overseas extension of the organization, followed in 1998, and chapters in Kuala Lumpur and Oman were inaugurated in 2003 and 2007, respectively.

SPE and IATMI are linked in several ways. IATMI was a sponsor of the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Jakarta last month, and was an endorsing organization of the 2008 International Petroleum Technology Conference, sponsored by SPE and other leading oil and gas industry associations, in Kuala Lumpur. IATMI Oman members recently participated in SPE Certification Exams, and the organization follows SPE Standards for Competency Matrices and Best Practices for membership verification.

Technical, professional, social, and charitable activities are promoted by IATMI in a variety of ways, including at conferences, seminars, courses with notable instructors, certification study, a publication, website, and networking and athletic activities. It also grants scholarships to students at Indonesian universities.

Conferences focus on members" diverse interests. Two events held recently focused on coalbed methane production and technology, and a conference on future alternative energy supplies was held in 2006. The annual National Symposium and Congress consists of technical paper presentations, workshops, and association business. IATMI publishes a bulletin every other month in Indonesian with archives available on its website. It has articles about its conferences, interviews, and other information.