Offshore staff
LONDON – Premier Oil expects to start oil production from the Chim Sáo field off southern Vietnam during the next few weeks.
The Lewek Emas FPSO arrived at the Chim Sáo oil field last month for commissioning and tie in to the gas export pipeline. Development drilling continues, with six producing wells and three water injectors likely to be available at first oil, with a further three producers to be brought onstream before year-end.
One of the wells, N2P, intersected the shallow part of a previously undrilled fault terrace to the northwest of the Chim Sáo field. Initial analysis suggests the well encountered a 20-m (65.6-ft) oil column in an independent closure within good quality Upper Dua sandstones.
Planning is under way for further evaluation of this near-field tieback opportunity. Premier has identified other candidates for in-field production wells during the current development drilling campaign, and these could be drilled in 2012.
The company has also completed FEED studies for the Dua oil field as a tieback to Chim Sáo, and the government sanction process has started.
Premier’s Cá Rông Ðó discovery, appraised earlier this year, recently moved into the development evaluation phase. Offshore northern Vietnam, Premier will shortly spud the Quả Mít Vàng exploration well in block 104-109/05 to test the hydrocarbon potential of a basement structure on the margin of the Song Hong basin.
Off Indonesia, Premier expects a marked increase in its production from Natuna Sea block A as the Gajah Baru comes onstream. This is the first numerous fields that will be developed to supply additional gas to domestic buyers in Batam, Indonesia, and to Singapore.
Liquid production from the Anoa field should increase by more than 70% in the second half of the year thanks to output from a newly producing oil well, A22.
Final project sanctions for the Pelikan and Naga fields should come through later this year, leading to first gas in late 2013. Both will be tied in to the new Gajah Baru central processing platform for export via the West Natuna Transportation System.
Work will then start on the next development project, the tie in of the Gajah Puteri field.
Premier’s 12-well development drilling campaign on Natuna Sea block A, initiated in the second half of 2010, will conclude with the drilling of two exploration wells, Anoa Deep and Biawak Besar, respectively during 4Q 2011 and early in 2012.
Results of these two wells, along with the block-wide prospect inventory review completed this spring, will be used to formulate drilling and appraisal plans for the next five years.
08/26/2011
