ASIA/PACIFIC

Peter Tang
Singapore

Australia/Indonesia: Mobil P&A's dry hole

Mobil's Kelp Deep-1 (ST) wildcat in ZOCA 95-18 has been plugged and abandoned. The well was spudded in April 1997 using Diamond Offshore's Ocean Epoch semi and was located in ZOCA 95-18. After being drilled to 4,670 meters without encountering commercial amounts of hydrocarbons, the well was deepened to 5,175 meters. Testing of three zones of interest was undertaken with the fractured carbonates of the Pearce Member of the Cape Hay Formation which flowed 10 MMcf/d of gas before the flow dropped off. The target Upper Doombey Formation was dry, so the well was sidetracked but failed to encounter commercial quantities of hydrocarbons.

China: Action begins for Agip, Kerr McGee

Agip has signed a contract with CNPC for the Beipuxi PSCA in Bohai Bay. The acreage is located in the shallow water coastal zone of Bohai Bay and covers an area of 370 sq km. No further information is available. Elsewhere in Bohai Bay, Kerr McGee completed its CFD 2-1-4 appraisal as an oil well. The well is located in PSCA 04/36 and was spudded using the Bohai-4 jackup. TD was reached at 4,000 meters and initial testing yielded 1,311 b/d of oil and 14 MMcf/d of gas. After reservoir stimulation, the flow rate improved to 2,992 b/d of oil (36° API) and 37 MMcf/d of gas.

Indonesia: Gulf renews exploration

Gulf Resources' (formerly Clyde) Lokan-1 wildcat, located in the West Natuna Sea, was suspended as an oil discovery recently without being tested. The well was drilled by the Sedco 600 semi in 89 meters of water, and was the first in a renewed exploration drilling program of three wells in late 1997/early 1998. The well was designed to test a small fault-defined structure located on the northern side of the Kakap wrench zone, and on the same trend as three earlier discoveries (KR, KRN, and Nelayan) made by Clyde in 1996/1997.

Another Arco discovery in the ONWJ PSC has been announced. PSI JJW-1 was suspended as an oil and gas well recently after testing 392 b/d of oil and 37 MMcf/d of gas from four DSTs over an undisclosed formation. The well is located approximately 10 km north of the JJ Field and was spudded in November using Sedco's Suhannah swamp barge in 3 meters of water.

Appraisal of Arco's Vorwata gas field, also in the Berau PSC, continues. Vorwata-5 was temporarily suspended as a gas well. No test results are available. This well was drilled using the Falcon Deep Sea Ice drillship. Vorwata-6 was spudded using the Santa Fe 134, and Vorwata-7 was spudded at the end of December using the Deep Sea Ice. In the adjacent Muturi PSC, British Gas is delineating the eastern extension of the accumulation and drilled the well using the Falcon Duchess drillship, and Vorwata-10 with the Trident jackup.

Malaysia/Thailand: Jengka-2 spudded

CPOC's Jengka-2 in the MTJDA Block B-17 in the Malay Basin was drilled using Marine Drilling's Marine 500 semi. The well was targeting Miocene sandstones and was the second in a firm two well plus one option program. The well is situated 1 km south of Jengka #1. The well reached a TD at 3,286 meters. Deeper gas zones encountered were the subject of testing, but the shallower gas sands, which flowed hydrocarbons in Jengka-1, were not tested. A press release made by the MTJDA indicates that a DST over the interval 3,132-3,169 meters flowed a maximum rate of 14.5 MMcf/d of gas plus 116 b/d of condensate (35° API) through a 64/64-in. choke.

Thailand: Two discoveries

Two discoveries were made in the period since the last report.

Texaco's Gulf of Thailand B11/38 wildcat Chang Daeng-1 was drilled using the Sedco 601 semisub. This was Texaco's first well in the concession, and first in a four well program in the Gulf which will also see three drilled in B12/32. The wildcat was situated on the eastern part of the block, 30 km northwest of the Bongkot Field, and 23 km west of Total's Ton Son-1X gas/condensate discovery. Chang Daeng-1 was completed as a gas discovery recently, but no test results have been made available.
The Sedco 601 also drilled the Bussabong-3X appraisal well for Texaco in B12/32 recently. This well is located 10 km west of the Bangkot gas/condensate field, and 5.5 km south southwest of the Bussabong-2X gas/condensate discovery. The well was targeting Miocene sandstones and reached an undisclosed TD. Later, Dragon Oil, Texaco's partner in the concession, announced that the well had discovered hydrocarbons in a new producing zone. The well flowed at 9.75 MMcf/d of gas and 35 b/d of condensate on a 1 1/2-in. choke.

Vietnam: Unocal enters Vietnam

Unocal's B-KL-1X wildcat, located in the Malay Basin Block B, was spudded on 8 November 1997 using Pedco's Doo Sung semisub in 75 meters of water. This was the first well in a two well program. This was Unocal's first well in Vietnam although it is familiar with the area through its presence in nearby concessions in Thai waters. The well is situated 56 km north-northwest of Fina's 50-CM-1X(ST), which was unsuccessful, and was testing a structure on the southwestern margin of a large northwest-southeast trending horst which bisects Block B and contiguous Block A. The primary objective of B-KL #1X was Miocene sandstones. The well reached TD at 3,533 meters, and was plugged and abandoned as a gas discovery with oil shows following a testing program. DST #1, conducted across a zone where oil shows were reported, failed to flow hydrocarbons while DSTs #2 and #3 flowed at a combined rate of 52.9 MMcf/d of gas from Miocene sandstones. The well is rumored to have encountered around 21 meters of net hydrocarbon pay in thin sands.