Asia Pacific

Peter Tang
Singapore

Chinese activity on upswing

On 31 October Shell was awarded the 800 sq km PSCA 15/23 in the Zhu-I Depression of the Pearl River Mouth Basin. The block is located in less than 100 meters of water in the area adjacent to Phillips' producing Xijiang Fields, and contains several wells drilled by Phillips when the area was part of PSCA 15/22. The standard seven-year (three-phase) exploration period will apply for the tract.

Chevron's YC 25-1-1 wildcat in PSCA 62/63 in the Yinggehai Basin was plugged and abandoned on 7 November, at a TD of 3675 meters. The well, which was drilled using the Nanhai-5 semisubmersible, encountered a reservoir sandstone unit but this proved to be water wet only.

Development drilling has begun in SPC's Pinghu Field in the Xihu Trough of the East China Sea. The wells will supply 49.5 MMcf/d gas and 16-18,000 b/d oil to Shanghai and Dai Shan Island in Zhejiang Province respectively.

On 26 November Texaco (50% operator) and partner Occidental (50%) confirmed recent speculation when they signed a full PSC for block 09/18 in the Boxi area of the Bohai Gulf. The tract had previously been held by the partners ( with Oxy as operator) under GSA (seismic option) terms and was the site of a 160 sq km 3D survey in late 1995/early 1996. Presumably a well will now be required during the one and a half year phase.

In the central Bohai Gulf local state affiliate COOBC has abandoned appraisal Caofedian (CFD) 18-2-2D (ST) as a gas/condensate well. After spudding on 8 July using the Bohai-10 jackup in 24 meters of water, the well was drilled to a TD of 1218 meters, centering granite basement at 4112 meters. Two DST's in the basement section were then conducted but recovered only minor oil plus water. The well was then plugged back and sidetracked, subsequently intersecting the granite at 3958 meters on its way to a new TD of 3976 meters in the sidetracked hole. A second testing program then began, flowing a maximum of 298 b/d condensate and 4.81 MMcf/d gas from the section between 3946-3976 meters. Operations at the wellsite were concluded on 6 November.

Two DSTs make Malaysian find

In the PM-3 Commercial Area in the Malay Basin, IPC's Bunga Kekwa-A4 was suspended as a dual oil producer in late October. The appraisal/development well was drilled to a TD of 2578 meters using Atwood's Hunter semisubmersible in 54 meters of water. DST #1 flowed 7817 BPD of 38.3- API oil plus 4.1 MMcf/d gas, whilst DST #2 flowed 6645 b/d of 37.7- API oil plus 4.25 MMcf/d gas.

Malaysia/Thailand
spuds & discovery in A-18

In MTJDA Block A-18 in the Malay Basin CTOC's Bulan-2 appraisal well was completed as an oil, gas and condensate well on 12 November. The well was spudded on 16 September using Atwood's Falcon semisubmersible in 55 meters of water and was drilled to a TD of 2792 meters. Bulan-2 encountered 63 meters of net pay in shallow-normal pressure and deep-overpressure zones down to 2568 meters, including 52.5 meters of gas pay. Two DSTs conducted over intervals between 1143-2561 meters flowed at an aggregate 30 MMcf/d gas plus 185 b/d oil (41-57- API) through choke sizes ranging from 1/4-in to 3/4-in. A shallow gas sand was not tested as it exhibited excellent log characteristics and was extensively tested in Bulan-1.

Also in Block A-18 CTOC's Bumi-1 (ST) was completed in late November as gas/condensate discovery at a TD of 2828 meters. The well was drilled in 55 meters of water using Sedco's Actina semisubmersible, at a location approximately 14 km southeast of Cakerwala-1A. Six DST's were conducted and a combined flow of 73 MMcf/d gas plus 305 b/d oil (36-54- API) was recorded between 1071-2340 meters. Triton stated in a press release that "the Bumi Field could be one of the largest to date in A-18". Following the completion of the well, the Actinia was released to CPOC to spud Muda #3 in Block B-17 on 13 November. Currently this well is running 13 3/8-in casing below 1098 meters.

Thailand dry well plugged

Texaco's Sontaya-1 wildcat in B11/32 in the Pattani Basin was plugged and abandoned dry on 29 October, after drilling to a TD of 3276 meters. No shows were encountered and the well is believed to have encountered a predominately sandy section. Diamond's Ocean General semisubmersible then immediately relocated to B13/32 in the Malay Basin to spud Bussabong-2X for Texaco on 1 November. This well will target Miocene sandstones at a PTD of 3081 meters and at the end of November was reported as drilling ahead at an undisclosed depth, below the 9 5/8-in casing shoe.

Japan LNG shortfall expected

Japan's liquefied petroleum gas customers are considering drawing on their LPG stockpiles in the first quarter of 1997 to cover a potential shortfall caused by stalled exports from Abu Dhabi, Japanese wholesalers in mid-November filed a request with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to allow them to use each other's excess stockpiles to avoid purchasing LPG at prices that have recently risen.

Their request was prompted by fears that Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., or ADNOC, which produces the bulk of the LPG exported from the United Arab Emirates, will be unable to meet its plans to lift its 1996 LPG production by up to 1.5 million metric tons per year to 5.5 million metric tons per year.