Industry News - Asian Oil & Gas Reports - News Update . . . News Update . . .
from: Asian Oil & Gas
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Basker-Manta tests prove positive
The Basker-Manta offshore
southeast Australia oil
development in the Gippsland
Basin, eastern Victoria, has
taken a positive turn with the
completion of an extended
production test (EPT) of
Basker-2 and the drilling of
Basker-4.
The Basker-2 EPT produced
870,000 barrels of oil,
considerably reducing development
risk and opening the
potential for additional
development of further
reserves, report 50:50 joint
venturers Anzon Oil Australia
(operator) and Beach
Petroleum.
The semisubmersible Ocean
Patriot drilled the Basker-4
development well to a total
depth of 3480m MDRT, encountering
34m of hydrocarbon pay
thickness, of which 12m is oil
sand and 22m gas sand. After
casing and installing completion
equipment in Basker-4, the
rig will install completion
equipment and perforate the
Basker-3 and Basker-5 wells.
Also, the FPSO Crystal Ocean
and shuttle tanker
Basker Spirit will leave the
production site, 75km offshore
Victoria in the Bass Strait, to
undergo facility upgrades and
inspections in Singapore in
readiness for connection to the
newly laid pipelines, umbilicals
and manifold.
Total project cost remains at
about $220 million with proved
and probable reserves
estimated at 30.1mmbo and an
average full field production
rate of 25,000bop/d anticipated
from five subsea wells,
including one gas injection
well, starting in 2H of this year.
Also in the offshore
Gippsland Basin, Santos has
acquired Woodside's 30% stake
in permit VIC/RL2, raising its
stake in the unitised Kipper gas
field project from 14% to 35%.
First gas from the Kipper
field, located in 100m of water
in the Bass Strait, is expected to
flow in 2009 subject to funding
and approvals.
Kipper's gross resources are
estimated at 620bcf of recoverable
gas and 30mmb of condensate
and LPG. BHP Billiton has
a 32.5% interest in Kipper and
Esso Australia Resources 32.5%.
. . . as Karoon counts to ten
In the onshore Gippsland Basin, Karoon Gas Australia has so far
identified ten leads from a recent 250km seismic 2D survey of its
100% held permits PEP162 and EL4537. Three of these southeast
Victoria prospects will be explored, and each is said to have
potential recoverable reserves of around 3mmbo. Drilling will
begin in PEP-162 either late 2006 or 1Q 2007.
Meanwhile, in the Browse Basin offshore northwest Australia,
Karoon Gas is in farmout discussions concerning its 100% held
WA-314-P and WA-315-P concessions with several Australian and
international oil and gas companies.
CBM and deep gas in the crosshairs
The Oil & Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) has
approved an investment of $200
million for exploration and
development of coal bed
methane (CBM) in six blocks in
Jharkhand and West Bengal,
adjacent states in east central
India.
Production is scheduled for
mid-2007, with an estimated
peak output of 275mmcf/d of
gas from the proposed
development wells. ONGC
plans to utilise a horizontalinseam-
multilateral drilling
technique, proven in Australia
and the US.
To the west, Indian company
Focus Energy has reported a
promising onshore gas find
with well SGL-1 in Rajasthan
Block RJ-ON/6, located in the
Shahgarh area of Jaisalmer
district. It is being hailed as the
first major stratigraphic
discovery on the Indian side of
the Indus Basin and on the
same stratigraphic trend of
multi-tcf gas producing fields
in Pakistan.
The Focus discovery, made in
a sandstone reservoir at a
depth of 3100m, flowed 15
mmscf/d of almost pure
methane gas, similar to that
found in Pakistan's Miano and
Sawan gas fields. Deeper zones
are expected to be explored.
Jeruk resource downgraded
Santos has downgraded its
resource estimates for Jeruk in
the Sampang PSC following
further appraisal drilling. The
Jeruk-3 appraisal well drilled
about 1.8km west of Jeruk-1
tested oil from the top of the
reservoir section and was
subsequently deepened to
4894m true vertical depth.
Interpretation of pressure
data obtained to date infers an
oil water contact at
approximately 4760 TVDSS,
announced Santos in July.
The height of the known
hydrocarbon column in the
Jeruk structure is now
considered to be approximately
145m compared to the
originally interpreted 379m.
This had reduced the most
likely contingent resource to
less than the 170mmbbl
estimate given in January 2005,
said the company.
This is a complex reservoir
and further appraisal will be
required to determine whether
a common oil water contact
exists across the structure,
added Santos.
Sandakan on Tap
Tap Oil has entered into a farmin
agreement to acquire a
58.3% interest in Philippines
service contract 41 (SC41) in the
Sandakan Basin, acting as
operator.
Located just north of Sabah,
East Malaysia, the approximately
5000km2 permit lies in
water depths ranging from
200m to 2000m.
InterOil at the double
InterOil Corporation has
signed a memorandum of
understanding with Papua New
Guinea for natural gas
development projects in PNG,
and a tri-party agreement
between InterOil and Merrill
Lynch Commodities (Europe)
and an affiliate of Clarion
Finanz, to form the National
Gas Development. The
company will seek to build and
develop NGL and LNG facilities
onshore PNG.
In addition, InterOil made a
gas and gas liquids discovery in
the Elk prospect of PPL 238,
southeast Papua New Guinea.
Elk #1 drill stem tested a flow
of wet gas at an estimated
150mmcf/d with an indicated
bottom hole pressure of 3700psi.
Record topping for landmark Lun-A
Sakhalin Energy has installed
the Lunskoye-A gas production
platform topsides in the Sea of
Okhotsk, off east central
Sakhalin Island in the Russian
Far East.
The 21,800t topsides,
fabricated by Samsung Heavy
Industries in South Korea over
a 33-month period, was mated
with the four legs of the
concrete gravity base, in the
process setting a new industry
benchmark as the heaviest
deck yet installed using the
floatover method.
The 100m high Lunskoye-A
platform, part of the Shell-led
Sakhalin Phase II project and
Russia's first offshore gas
production platform, will
undergo hook up and
commissioning work before
commencing the drilling of gas
production wells.
The platform has 27 well slots
and the capacity to process 1.8
bcf of gas and 50,000 barrels of
condensate per day. Production
is expected to start in 2008.
Geophysical contractor TGSNopec
is to acquire a new
multi-client 15,000km 2D
seismic programme in the Sea
of Okhotsk near Sakhalin
Island kicked off in July using
two vessels from TGS-Nopec in
partnership with Dalmorneftegeofizika.
Completion is due by
1Q 2007. TGS has also signed a
charter agreement with
Shanghai Offshore Petroleum
Geophysical Corporation to
utilise the newly upgraded 2D
seismic research vessel
Discoverer 2 for a minimum of
12 months, initially in the Sea
of Okhotsk.
Deepwater strike one
Husky Oil China has made the
first deepwater hydrocarbon
discovery in China with
exploration well Liwan 3-1-1,
Block 29/26, in the South China
Sea.
The well was drilled on
existing 2D seismic data to a
total depth of 3843m on a
structure with 60km2 of closure,
encountering 56m of net gas
pay on logs over two zones.
Liwan 3-1-1, drilled in 1500m
of water in the Pearl River
Mouth Basin, will be
sidetracked for further
evaluation. Husky estimates
the discovery could contain a
potential recovery of 4-6tcf of
gas.
Additional drilling on the
block will follow once 3D data is
evaluated.
Roc Oil pays
Australian independent Roc Oil
continues to bolster its offshore
productive capacity.
In Bohai Bay, the company
has agreed to acquire a 24.5%
operated interest in the Zhao
Dong Block for $260 million in
cash by way of the purchase of
100% of the shares of Apache
China Corporation. Gross block
production from two producing
fields is in the order of
30,000bop/d with remaining 2P
reserves estimated at 61mmbo.
In the Beibu Gulf, offshore
Hainan Island, the Wei-6-12S-1
exploration well in Block 22/12
produced at up to 5750bop/d
during testing of three zones.
Roc Oil plans a sidetrack.
Meanwhile, back home, the
Roc Oil-operated Cliff Head oil
field in the Perth Basin
offshore Western Australia
produced first oil from a
vertical well at an initial rate of
approximately 1000bop/d. Five
more oil producers, including
four horizontal wells, are
expected to push output over
10,000bop/d, transported
onshore via a 14km pipeline.
Blacktip gas go-ahead
Italian operator Eni has kicked
off the development of its 100%-
owned Blacktip gas field in the
Timor Sea. Located in the
Bonaparte Basin in 50m of
water, the project will tap an
estimated 150mmboe recoverable
reserves and provides for
the drilling of two initial
development wells, installation
of a production platform, laying
of a 108km offshore pipeline
and construction of an onshore
gas treatment plant with a
capacity of 46bcf/yr.
First gas is planned in 2009 at
an initial annual rate of 23bcf.
$610m green light for Kupe . . .
The Kupe gas condensate
project offshore South
Taranaki, North Island, has
been given the go-ahead by the
Origin Energy-led project joint
venture. Kupe becomes the
fourth offshore Taranaki
petroleum project, with the
Pohokura gas condensate field
and the Tui and Maari oil fields
now at various stages of
construction.
Operator Origin said higher
construction costs would raise
the Taranaki Basin project's
bill from $500 million to $610
million and the project would
be delayed one year, coming
onstream mid-2009. Production
will be around 18.6bcf of sales
gas per year, representing
about 15% of New Zealand's
annual demand, plus around
1.06mmb of LPG and 1.7mmb of
condensate per annum.
Reserves are estimated at
382bcf of gas equivalent.
The Kupe project will
comprise an unmanned
platform supporting up to six
wellheads, an onshore
production station and offshore
and onshore pipelines.
Construction is expected to
start in late 3Q 2006.
. . . as Tui reserves trends upwards
The AWE Group, operator of
the Tui Area Oil Project,
located within PMP 38158 in
the offshore Taranaki Basin,
has come up with an
optimised development plan
that could increase proved
and probable recoverable oil
reserves by 1.1mmbo,
bringing the total to
27.9mmbo.
The revised plan,
increasing project capex by
$21 million to $225 million,
still schedules first oil by
end 2Q 2007. The field, in
water depths of around
120m, will be developed via
four horizontally drilled and
subsea completed wells
individually tied back to a
leased FPSO vessel.
Onshore Taranaki meanwhile,
Austral Pacific
Energy plans to bring its
Cheal oil field onstream in
4Q 2006 utilising a
permanent production
station with an oil handling
capacity of 2000bop/d.
Cheal, located in
PEP 38738-01 and
estimated to currently hold
559,000 barrels of proven
reserves, will be further
exploited with up to eight
wells.
The onshore Turangi field,
in PEP 38161, is under
development by Greymouth
Petroleum. Turangi will be
co-developed with the
Ohanga area gas in PEP
38762 where predicted
proven and probable
petroleum reserves are put
at 143bcf of gas and 5.1mmb
of condensate.
North South divide
Frontier exploration in New
Zealand has taken a step
forward in the North and
retreated a little in the South.
Off the east coast of North
Island, block K, a 3242 square
mile exploration permit, has
been awarded to Pogo New
Zealand, a subsidiary of USbased
Pogo Producing. The
100%-owned permit, located in
Hawke Bay between Mahia and
Cape Kidnappers, entails a
minimum work programme
that includes 1500km of 2D
seismic data acquisition and up
to two exploration wells, with
an estimated exploration
expenditure over the five-year
lease period of up to $45
million.
In Great South Basin, off the
southeast coast of South Island,
the holders of PEP 38225 have
surrendered the permit. The
relinquishment means that
blocks 18, 26-28 will be available
for bidding, and substantial
portions of blocks 19 and 20 will
be available in their entirety.
Five new permits awarded
Australia has awarded five new
offshore petroleum exploration
permits, two of them - T/42P
(released as T04-3) and T/43P
(released as T04-4) in the Bass
Basin off Tasmania - going to
Bass Strait Oil.
Permit WA-377-P (released as
W05-4) in the Browse Basin off
western Australia went to
Nexus Energy Australia.
In the Bonaparte Basin, in
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
territory off the northwest
coast of WA, two permits were
granted, AC/P38 (released as
AC04-1) to Eni Australia, and
AC/P39 (released as AC05-1) to
Auralandia, National Gas
Corporation and Gascorp.
Double firsts for Niko
Niko Resources, in partnership
with Reliance Industries, has
made its first deepwater oil
discovery off India's east
central coast in block D6 with
exploration well D6-MA-1.
Drilled to 3783m, the well
encountered oil and gas in two
tested intervals with an
indicated 26m net oil pay and
72m net gas pay, testing at over
6700bop/d and about
32mmscf/d of gas with 3370bbls
of condensate, respectively.
Meanwhile, in Thailand,
Niko has entered the country
through a 50% equity in the
Defense Energy Department
held Fang block, located in the
far north.
The Fang block contains
substantial shallow oil
potential, 103mmbo in place
having been discovered.
The Mae Soon oil field in the
block is to be further exploited
by the joint venture, with an
initial 12-well programme
getting under way in August
and focusing on by-passed oil
potential.
Broome sweep
A significant regional
exploration holding in the
onshore Canning Basin in the
vicinity of Broome, northwest
Australia, has been secured by
Arc Energy.
From European Gas, 100%
permit interests were acquired
for: EP371, EP390, EP391, EP428,
EP431 and EP436 plus 8% in
EP104 and 12% in L98-1.
In addition a letter of intent
has been signed with Rey
Resources in relation to two
applications, 10/04-5 and 11/04-
5, in the central part of the
basin for the exploitation of
coal seam methane gas.
Arc has also applied to the
Department of Industry and
Resources for two areas under
the 'Special Prospecting
Authorities with Acreage
Option' covering open parts of
the Canning Basin considered
by Arc to be prospective and
complementary to existing
permits.
First gas for Tullow
Tullow Oil has begun gas
production from the onshore
Bangora-1 well, a key element
of the UK independent's
Bangora/Lalmai appraisal
programme in east central
Bangladesh and Tullow's first
output in the country.
Production from Bangora-1,
located in Block 9, has
stabilised at 50 mmscf/d, part
of a long-term appraisal to
evaluate extent and
connectivity of the Bangora
and Lalmai wells. The gas is
being delivered via the
Ashuganj-Bakhrabad pipeline
for domestic use. Two more
appraisal wells are planned
with two others contingent on
results.
Kakap gas for SPC
With the Lukah-1X exploration
well, Singapore Petroleum
Company (SPC) has made a
discovery in the Kakap PSC in
the West Natuna Sea, in which
it holds a 15% interest. Lukah
IX tested natural gas and
condensate over two sand
intervals of 20m and 25m,
which flowed at a daily
combined rate of 19.7 mmscf of
gas and 2.8 barrels of
condensate.
In other recent Indonesian
offshore deals:
Marathon International
Petroleum Indonesia was
awarded a 70% interest and
operatorship in the 4708km2
offshore Pasangkayu block,
with Talisman (Asia) taking
the remaining 30%. The block
is located predominantly
offshore Sulawesi Island in the
Makassar Strait, east of the
prolific Kutei Basin oil and gas
producing region, with water
depths ranging from 100m to
just over 2000m.
GFI Oil & Gas Corporation
struck a farm-in deal with
Transworld Seruway Exploration
to acquire 22.5% of the
1740km2 Seruway block
offshore North Sumatra. GFI is
to spend $5 million to acquire
and evaluate 3D seismic data
and up to $12 million for a gas
exploration well planned in
2007. The Seruway PSC is
adjacent to the Asahan offshore
PSC and Glagah Kambuna
TAC, where the respective
Tanjung Perling and Kambuna
fields are being developed.
Esso Exploration International
has successfully bid for
the Surumana block, located in
the Makassar Straits off the
coast of Sulawesi. Covering
5340km2, the block is located in
the North Makassar Basin.
Tasmanian thunderbolt
Empire Energy Corporation
International has acknowledged
a potentially appreciable
increase to its drilling
inventory in Tasmania as a
result of a preliminary
interpretation of a 150km 2D
seismic survey of the islands
onshore central Tasmania
Basin that indicates a large
domal structure, dubbed the
Thunderbolt Anticline.
This structure, believed to be
20km across and 50km long, is
one of several identified by
seismic data that are
cumulatively upwards of
1000km2 in extent.
Sound investments
Sound Oil has entered into an
agreement to acquire a 50%
interest in a PSC embracing
onshore Bangladesh block 22,
which covers an area of
1250km2 in the Chittagong
Hills.
Block 22 lies to the south of
gas producing fields in India
and to the east of the producing
Sangu gas field operated by
Cairn Energy. This transaction,
for a consideration of $2
million, is subject to
government approval. Ocean
Bangladesh is PSC operator.
More from Morskoe
KoZhaN, a Big Sky Energy
Corporation subsidiary, has
discovered the Morskoe B oil
pool immediately north of its
producing Morskoe A pool, in
the Morskoe field, located on
the northeastern shore of the
Caspian Sea in western
Kazakhstan.
Big Sky, a US company,
anticipates the Morskoe B pool
is similar in areal extent to that
of Morskoe A, and plans to drill
3-5 delineation wells.
Shah Deniz platform deployed
The huge TPG-500 platform
which will provide drilling,
production and accommodation
for the BP-operated
Shah Deniz gas-condensate
field is now installed in its
Caspian Sea location around
100km south of Baku.
Following assembly, testing
and pre-commissioning at the
Zykh yard in Baku, the jackup
platform and associated seabed
foundations were towed to an
intermediate location 70km
from Baku. There the platform
legs were successfully mated to
the three foundation cans, each
weighing 1400t and measuring
30m in diameter and 15m in
height. The TPG-500 was then
towed to its final location in
105m of water, where the legs
were lowered and then
cemented in place preparatory
for final installation of the
platform of the pre-drilled well
template.
Offshore hook-up and
commissioning are now under
way, and the project remains on
target to start delivering gas
from Shah Deniz to Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey in 4Q 2006.
Gas and condensate from the
field will be transported via
subsea pipelines to Sangachal
terminal.
Only two other platforms of
this type have ever been built,
both of which are operating in
the UK North Sea.
Guntong E goes online
ExxonMobil Exploration &
Production Malaysia Inc
(EMEPMI) has started
operations at the Guntong E
gas compression platform
offshore West Malaysia in the
South China Sea, developed
under the gas production
sharing contract between
EMEPMI, as operator, and 50:50
co-venturer Petronas Carigali.
The platform is the first
phase of the Guntong Hub
development, anticipated to
produce and process over four
tcf of gas for sale in Peninsular
Malaysia. Guntong E together
with two existing Guntong D
production and compression
platforms will have a gas
handling capacity of 800mmcf/d.
The Guntong Hub will
involve new wells, workovers,
satellite platforms, pipelines
and retrofit of platforms. The
additional compression
capacity at Guntong E will also
increase total crude oil
production from EMEPMIoperated
fields by more than
10%, with a peak production
rate of over 15,000b/d.
Soco advances on twin fronts
Soco International has
advanced its position both in
Thailand and in two blocks in
Vietnam's Cuu Long Basin,
each contiguous to the prolific
Bach Ho and Rang Dong fields,
offshore the southeast coast.
In Thailand, Soco
Exploration (Thailand) has
signed a participation
agreement with GFI Oil & Gas
Thailand and TOPoil wherein
these farmees can earn up to a
60% working interest in the
Bualuang field in the Thai Gulf.
An initial 20% stake can be
earned on their completion of a
Phase I work programme
involving a high resolution
100km 2D seismic survey and
the drilling of one well in the
Bualuang field. A further 40%
interest can be earned in a
Phase II effort comprising the
drilling of up to eight wells,
platform installation and
producing first oil.
Soco has also purchased an
additional 2% interest in
Vietnamese block 16-1 from
Opeco Vietnam, taking Soco's
total interest to 30.5%. The
company expects a
commerciality declaration for
this block's Te Giac Trang
prospect in the near future.
Also in Vietnam, the Ca Ngu
Vang oil field in block 09-02, in
which Soco Vietnam holds a
25% interest, has received a
declaration of commerciality
from the shareholders of the
Hoan Vu JOC.
Premier making moves
Premier Oil and partners
Medco and Japex have acquired
a subsidiary of ExxonMobil
which holds a 50% working
interest in the North Sumatra
Block A PSC, onshore
northeast Sumatra, providing
each with a 16.67% share. The
ConocoPhillips (50%) operated
block contains undeveloped
discoveries on the Alur Siwah,
Alur Rambong and Julu Rayeu
fields.
In Vietnam, Premier has
completed operations on well
Dua-4X in Block 12E as an oil
and gas discovery, drilled down
flank from the 1974 Dua-1X
1,500bop/d discovery well.
Wireline testing of both Dua-4X
and sidetrack Dua-4X ST1
recovered oil samples and core
and pressure data. A second
sidetrack, Dua-4X ST2, will be
drilled to further evaluate
potential gas and oil reservoirs.
On completion of a block 12E
farmout agreement, Premier
(operator) will hold a 37.5%
interest, with Santos holding
37.5% and Delek Energy 25%.
Chevron checks out four discoveries
Chevron Overseas Petroleum
(Cambodia) (COPCL) has
signed a joint study agreement
with Cambodia to evaluate and
expand the base resource of
four discoveries made in block
A, offshore Cambodia, in 2004
and 2005. COPCL will drill 10
wells, five each in 2006 and 2007.
COPCL operates and holds a
55% interest in block A, which
covers 6278km2 in the Gulf of
Thailand.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam,
Chevron Vietnam Phu Khanh
(Block 122) has signed a 30-year
PSC with Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation for offshore block
122, covering 6981km2 off the
eastern coast, in a 50:50 joint
venture with Petronas Carigali.
Ottoman takes control . . .
Ottoman Energy has agreed to
pay AustralAsian Energy
shares and cash to acquire the
remaining 50% shareholding in
NorAsian Energy which
currently owns a 100% interest
in Philippine service contract
SC50 (Calauit oil field), an 80%
interest in SC51 (offshore Cebu)
and an 85% interest in SC55
(Palawan ultra-deep water).
NorAsian in turn is to
farmout a 30% interest in each
of SC50, SC51 and SC55 to
Canadian-based Bentley
International Oil for a total of
approximately $9.5 million to
earn its 30% interest.
Ottoman now controls the
largest publicly owned acreage
holding in offshore Philippines
with a total area of over
15,000km2.
Ottoman's managing director
Jaap Poll commented:
'Successful completion of the
acquisition will position
Ottoman as a major player in
the Philippines and should
enable it to become a
significant oil producer.'
. . . Nido farms in
Nido Petroleum has farmed in
with Philippine National Oil
Company to service contract 58
(SC58) in the offshore Palawan
Basin. Nido will earn a 50%
interest through a work
programme and pay 100% of
the costs comprising pre-drill
expenditure of approximately
$8.5 million, principally for
seismic acquisition and
interpretation up to 2008.
SC58, covering 5170 square
miles in water depths from
500m to 2000m northwest of
Palawan Island, has so far had
two prospects and six leads
identified.
Jasmine joy
Pearl Energy continues its
string of exploration successes
in its 100% held block B 5/27 in
the Gulf of Thailand, using the
jackup drilling rig Ensco 107. In
the vicinity of the producing
Jasmine field, Jasmine-14A,
drilled to assess an exploration
prospect, was plugged and
abandoned after intersecting
approximately 58 vertical feet
of net oil-bearing sandstones in
five reservoir intervals.
Subsequently, four
exploration wells drilled from
the same location, Ban Yen-2A,
2B, 2C and 2D, were completed
and all plugged and abandoned
after each discovered
substantial oil and gas deposits
in sandstone reservoirs,
ranging from a maximum of
165 vertical feet of net-oil and
101 vertical feet of gas bearing
intervals in Ban Yen-2A to a
minimum of 53 vertical feet net
of oil bearing horizons in Ban
Yen-2D.
Ensco 107, scheduled to move
to the Ban Yen-1A location,
sustained damage while
preloading, requiring repairs
in Singapore and an estimated
60-day suspension in
operations.
FSO for Rang Dong
Modec has secured an initial
nine-year contract with Japan
Vietnam Petroleum Company
(JVPC) for the provision and
operation of a floating storage
and offloading (FSO) vessel for
the Rang Dong field offshore
Vietnam in block 15-2. The field
is located 135km southeast of
Vung Tau in 60m of water. The
turret-moored FSO will be able
to store 350,000 barrels of oil
and handle 60,000b/d.
Rang Dong, JVPC operated
and held jointly with
ConocoPhillips (UK) and
PetroVietnam E&P, is due to go
onstream in 3Q 2008.
CNOOC taps Sumatra gas
China National Offshore Oil
Corporation (CNOOC) has
brought Phase I of the
Southeast Sumatra (SES) Gas
Project onstream at a
contractual gas delivery rate of
55mmcf/d via four wells. The
project is located about 120km
offshore West Java, in an
average water depth of 30m.
First phase development
facilities include a processing
platform and three subsea
pipelines, supplying natural
gas mainly to state utility
company PT Perusahaan
Listrik Negara power plants.
Phase II is expected to start
delivery in early 2007.
Exxon Mobil has confirmed
its subsidiary, Esso Exploration,
was high bidder on the
Surumana block in the latest
Indonesian tender.
Located in the Makasser
Straits, the block covers
5340km2.
BG in three accords
CNOOC has concluded
production sharing contracts
for deepwater blocks 64/11 and
53/16 and a geophysical survey
agreement (GSA) for block
41/06, offshore China with BG
Group. BG, making its first
investment in China, will be
the operator and retain a 100%
interest during the exploration
phase. The company also has
the option to enter into a PSC
for block 41/06 upon
completion of the GSA.
The three blocks, covering a
total area of 25,800km2, are
located in the Qiongdongnan
(64/11 and 53/16) and Pearl
River Mouth (41/06) basins of
the South China Sea, with
water depths ranging from
180m to 2100m.
Salamander swoops
Salamander Energy, a UK
independent operating exclusively
in Southeast Asia, has
signed an agreement to acquire
the 50% balance of Orchard
Energy Holding Java &
Sumatra BV (OEH) from
Interra Resources for about $21
million in cash and shares.
Salamander's 100% ownership
of OEH raises its barrels of
oil equivalent (boe) of 2P
reserves by 12.5 mmboe to 40
mmboe and its production from
3300 to 6600boe/d.
OEH holds a 5% working
interest in the Offshore North
West Java and South East
Sumatra production sharing
contracts, operated by BP and
CNOOC respectively.
Dolores delivers
Estimates by RPS Energy of
Meridian Petroleum's 100%-
held Delores prospect, located
in licence PELA 132 in the
Arrowie Basin, onshore South
Australia, put P50 (50%
probability) gas recoverable at
432bcf, based on an
approximate 80% recovery
factor, equivalent to 72 mmboe.
Dolores, situated 40km east of
the Moomba-Adelaide gas
pipeline linking the Cooper
Basin gas fields to South
Australian gas consumers, is
due for drilling later this year. AOG
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