Offshore staff
LONDON – Salamander Energy has suspended its North Kendang-1 (NK-1) exploration well in the North Kutei basin offshore Indonesia.
NK-1 has been suspended as a potential gas discovery. The rig is being mobilized to the Bontang PSC to drill the Bedug-1 exploration well, the third well in Salamander’s multi-well program in the North Kutei basin.
The semisubmersibleOcean General spudded the NK-1 well on the South East Sangatta PSC on Feb. 10. Throughout the Pliocene interval it encountered a predominantly shale-prone section.
On reaching what is thought to be the first Upper Miocene reservoir target at 2,533 m (8,310 ft) TVDSS, the well took a substantial kick of high-pressure gas into the wellbore at a wellhead pressure of about 4,000 psi (276 bar). This led to operational problems, causing drilling to be halted. The gas has been sampled and is being analyzed – early results suggest wet gas, with pressure data indicating a potentially significant column height.
Salamander will next drill the Bedug prospect on the offshore Bontang PSC before returning to NK-1 to drill ahead and evaluate the Upper Miocene section.
4/11/2013
