Peter Tang
Singapore
China: 20 blocks on offer
At the end of January 1998, China's national offshore oil company, CNOOC, announced the opening of a new offshore bidding round, comprising a total of 20 blocks in all offshore regions of China with the exception of the Bohai Gulf. The total extent of acreage offered is 98,800 sq km. The bid round will be open for a three-month period, with bids to be submitted by the end of this month. Interested parties should contact CNOOC for further details. The blocks offered are as follows:- 22/14 (Beibu Gulf Basin) - 2,500 sq km
- 22/10 (Beibu Gulf Basin) - 2,570 sq km
- 23/29 (Beibu Gulf Basin) - 1,180 sq km
- 62/01 (Yinggehai Basin) - 1,310 sq km
- 62/09 (Yinggehai Basin) - 1,350 sq km
- 62/13 (Yinggehai Basin) - 1,180 sq km
- 26/25 (Western Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 2,980 sq km
- 26/35 (Western Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 1,530 sq km
- 39/10 (Western Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 2,850 sq km
- 39/33 (Western Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 5,800 sq km
- 40/19 (Western Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 3,410 sq km
- 28/28 (Eastern Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 5,970 sq km
- 29/20 (Eastern Pearl River Mouth Basin) - 7,260 sq km
- 11/33 (South Yellow Sea Basin) - 5,030 sq km
- 24/10 (South Yellow Sea Basin) - 14,950 sq km
- 25/05 (East China Sea Basin) - 19,320 sq km
- 25/20 (East China Sea Basin) - 6,370 sq km
- 25/31 (East China Sea Basin) - 3,950 sq km
- 32/10 (East China Sea Basin) - 3,060 sq km
- 41/14 (East China Sea Basin) - 5,540 sq km
Indonesia: Three new discoveries
- In South Natuna Sea Block B PSC, Conoco's Kaci-1 wildcat has been abandoned as a gas discovery. The well was drilled using PT Patra Drilling'sGalaxy Driller semisubmersible in 97 meters of water. No testing details have been released. Kaci-1 is located 8 km southeast of Conoco's 1996 Bintang Laut-1 gas discovery.
- Unocal's Merah Besar-5 has been suspended as an oil and gas discovery. It was spudded using theSedco 602semisub in 530 meters of water. The well flowed 9,430 b/d of oil and 7.4 MMcf/d of gas from a single test over a Miocene deepwater fan sand. The stratigraphically complex Merah Besar accumulation straddles Unocal's East Kalimantan and Makassar Strait PSC areas.
- Premier's Pelikan-1 wildcat, located in Natuna Sea Block A PSC, has been suspended as a future gas producer. The well was spudded using R & B Flacon'sHarvey H Ward jackup. A total of four DSTs were run over the Middle Gabus and Middle Arang Formation sandstones and a cumulative flow of 43 MMcf/d of gas was recorded.
Malaysia/Thailand: CPOC completes third well in program
CPOC's Muda-5, located in MTJDA Block B-17 in the Malay Basin, has been drilled using Marine Drilling's Marine 500 semisubmersible. The well was targeting Miocene sandstones and was the third in CPOC's current program. The well is situated on the eastern side of the structure, 3.5 km north of CPOC's Muda-1 gas/condensate discovery (70 MMcf/d of gas and 726 b/d of condensate). Muda-5 was completed as a gas and condensate discovery after reaching TD at 2,480 meters. The well encountered several gas-bearing zones with a total pay of 54 meters. One DST over the interval 1,232-1,282 meters flowed at the rate of 11.8 MMcf/d of gas and 128 b/d of condensate (57.2! API) on a 56/64-in. choke.Philippines: Shell spuds three wells
Shell is undertaking a three-well drilling campaign in its acreage offshore Palawan Island. The wells are being drilled using Atwood Oceanic's Falcon semisubmersible. The first well, San Marcelino-1, located in SC 38, was abandoned as dry in early December. This was followed by Princesa-1, also in SC 38, and, like San Marcelino-1, located on the Outer Reef Trend. Princesa-1 was abandoned with gas shows and the rig was relocated in order to spud a well to the southwest in GSEC 91. This well is known as Cliffhead-1, located on the giant Cliffhead Miocene Nido Limestone reefal structure, lying on trend with the Nido Field.Thailand: Texaco and Total continue drilling campaigns
Appraisal drilling has continued on Texaco's Bassabong gas/condensate discovery in the Malay basin Block B12/32. Bussabong-4X was drilled using the Sedco 601 semisubmersible in 75 meters of water, immediately after the abandonment of Bussabong-3X as an untested gas discovery. The well was targeting Miocene sandstones and is located 1.4 km northeast of Bussabong-1X (suspended due to mechanical problems) and 3.1 km north of the Bussabong-2X gas/condensate discovery (21 MMcf/d of gas and 118 b/d of condensate). Bussabong-4X reached a TD of 2,484 meters and was plugged and abandoned as a gas well. The well tested at the rate of 9.75 MMcf/d of gas and 35 b/d of condensate from a new producing zone. The rig then re-located and spudded Bussabong-5X.Bussabong-5X was spudded in 72 meters of water. The well was targeting Miocene sandstones and is located 15.8 km south southeast of Bussabong-3X, and 17 km west of Bongkot Field. It was the final well in Texaco's latest four well program in the Gulf of Thailand. Bussabong-5X reached an undisclosed TD, and was plugged and abandoned as a gas well (around 60% carbon dioxide). No DSTs were conducted.
In Total's Bongkot Block in the Gulf of Thailand Malay basin, appraisal well Ton Nok Yoong-4 was completed as a gas well in late January after reaching an undisclosed TD. This well was spudded using theActiniasemisubmersible. Ton Nok Yoong-4 was the first of an extensive drilling campaign planned for 1998 by Total. The well had a prognosed TD of 2,195 meters and was targeting Miocene sandstones. It was an appraisal of Total's 1994 Ton Nok Yoong-1 gas discovery in the extreme southeast corner of the concession.
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