Valeura sets benchmark for horizontal drilling in Gulf of Thailand

Operator Valeura Energy said the program was now about 45% complete, with first oil expected in second-quarter 2027.

Elsewhere in the Gulf of Thailand, drilling has finished of one deviated and eight horizontal wells on the Jasmine and Ban Yen fields in the Valeura-operated Block B5/27.

The focus had been mainly on accessing unswept oil within producing reservoirs. All the wells are said to have been successful and have been completed as producers, lifting overall production before royalties to a recent 8,600 bbl/d.

Some of the wells had been designed to penetrate additional appraisal targets while drilling toward the primary development targets. The program did identify numerous oil accumulations, which will be addressed in future infill drilling campaigns.

Valeura also highlighted in the report some of the new technologies and drilling approaches it had introduced to improve recovery from its fields offshore Thailand and to reduce operating costs.

One recently completed well, JSB-28ST2H, established a new benchmark as the longest horizontal well interval ever drilled in the Gulf of Thailand, the company claimed, at 3,875 ft.

For two of the wells drilled from the Jasmine B platform, the shallower sections of the existing wells were reused, with the new wellbores drilled as sidetracks through the existing 7-inch casing. This approach helps cut drilling time and mitigates certain downhole drilling risk, Valeura added.

All horizontal wells drilled in this campaign were completed using autonomous inflow control devices to reduce the inflow of non-oil fluids into the wellbore. The company is now adopting the technique more widely across all its Gulf of Thailand fields.

At present, Valeura has one drilling rig contracted through August 2026. The work plan for this year involves drilling 16 development and appraisal wells on the Jasmine, Nong Yao and Manora fields to offset natural production declines and prove fresh reserves and two exploration wells.

The company has budgeted $175 million to $195 million capex this year, which includes completion of construction and installation of the new central processing platform at Wassana Field, and about $7 million for exploration.

In addition, Valeura is working with PTTEP on exploration and development plans for blocks G1/65 and G3/65 in the Gulf of Thailand, after agreeing to farm in to a 40% share of the permits.

Priorities include the Bussabong gas development area, where FID could follow later this year, and exploration of the Nong Yao northeast oil area.

Government approval for the farm-in should follow Thailand’s upcoming general election.