Ophir Finds Gas Off Indonesia
Ophir Energy has discovered gas offshore Indonesia, the UK independent said December 7.
Its Paus Biru-1 exploration well has resulted in a gas discovery. An initial drill stem test flowed gas at a rate of 11.2mn ft3/d over a five-hour period. The well was shut in for nine days to allow for pressure build-up before a maximum flow test which produced 13.8mn ft3/d.
The well has been plugged and a plan of development is to be submitted to the regulator for approval. The Paus Biru discovery is 27km east of the producing Oyong gas field; both are on the shallow-water 547.05 km2 Sampang production-sharing contract in the East Java basin, of which Ophir is operator with 45%. It said the budget for the Paus Biru-1 well was $15mn.
Ophir two months ago put all, and parts, of its undeveloped LNG interests (Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania) up for sale and said it would focus its future growth strategy on the Far East. Its interim CEO, Alan Booth, said the Indonesian gas find represented "a strong endorsement of the assets acquired from Santos" completed September 2018.
The company said the first part of its Phase 4 development drilling of its 100%-owned Bualuang oil field offshore Thailand has been completed successfully; four workovers and three new production wells were drilled, all brought on stream. Production from Bualuang averaged 9,600 b/d in November 2018, against a year to date average of 8,000 b/d.