Offshore staff
LONDON — Baron Oil is progressing geoscience studies over the Chuditch gas discovery in the TL-SO-19-16 production sharing contract (PSC) area offshore Timor-Leste.
Shell drilled the Chuditch-1 discovery well in 1998, encountering a 25-m gas column in the Jurassic Plover Formation on the flank of a large faulted structure.
Baron’s team has been interpreting subsurface images from TGS’ 3D reprocessing project and its integration with petroleum systems, reservoir and other technical studies.
Once the geoscience evaluation has finished, the company plans to update its field development and gas export option studies, including the layout and costs of the infield facilities, pipeline and standalone options for gas export, and the treatment and storage of CO2.
Discussions are underway with various parties interested in a farm-in, including infrastructure providers and others seeking security of gas supply.
Baron subsidiary SundaGas Timor-Leste (Sahul) is the parent company of the PSC’s operator SundaGas Banda Unipessoal. The other partner is Timor-Leste state oil company Timor Gap E.P. Its 25% interest is carried by Banda through to development.
An independent review of the Chuditch PSC estimated prospective resources of 591 MMboe. In the fourth quarter, the partners are due to take a decision on whether to proceed to the drilling phase, with a program likely then to follow in 2023.
