Oilfield Technology - May/June 2020

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8 | Oilfield Technology May/June 2020
May/June 2020 World news
Resource upgrade confirmed at Mako gas field
Conrad Petroleum, the operator of Duyung PSC, offshore Indonesia, has announced the
results of its internal subsurface study and a subsequent independent resource audit of the
Mako gas field located within the licence.
Following a successful drilling campaign completed in late 2019, Conrad carried out an
internal, comprehensive field review that was concluded in April 2020. The review covered
all subsurface and surface aspects of the development of the field and indicated significantly
higher overall resource volumes than previous estimates, along with the potential for
considerably higher daily production rates of high-quality dry gas.
Subsequently the company engaged Gaffney Cline and Associates (GCA) to complete an
independent resource audit for the Mako gas field.
GCA’s audit, dated 22 May 2020, confirmed Conrad’s internal resource estimates and
provided a significant upgrade for the Mako gas field compared to their previous audit of
January 2019. The 2C (contingent) recoverable resource estimates have been increased to
495 billion ft 3, an increase of approximately 79% compared with the 2019 audit. In the upside
case, the 3C (contingent) resources have increased by approximately 108% compared with the
2019 audit, to 817 billion ft3. With the latest upgrade, Mako has been shown to be one of the
largest gas fields ever discovered in the West Natuna Basin, and is currently by far the largest
undeveloped resource in the immediate area.
Gas volumes are expected to be upgraded to reserves when certain commercial
milestones are achieved, including execution of a gas sales agreement and a final investment
decision (FID).
KrisEnergy suspends
production at Wassana
KrisEnergy has suspended production at
the Wassana oilfield in the Gulf of Thailand
until further notice, citing the economic
uncertainty generated by the COVID-19
pandemic and low oil prices.
Operations at the company’s
remaining producing assets are continuing
as usual.
Gross production at the Wassana
oilfield – operated by KrisEnergy –
averaged 3605 bpd in 1Q20 and the
company’s working interest production
was 3208 bpd. KrisEnergy holds an
effective 89% working interest in the
G10/48 concession.
The Wassana field came onstream
in August 2015 and comprises a mobile
offshore production unit (MOPU) and
a floating storage and offloading (FSO)
vessel. Agreements with respect to the FSO
have been terminated. The company is in
discussions regarding the warm-stacking
of the MOPU with a skeleton crew.
Due to the suspension of production,
the company’s workforce in Thailand has
been reduced by approximately 25%.
Petrobras opens bidding
for Manati field stake
Petrobras, following up on an
announcement in early May, has
started the sale of its stake (35%) in the
Manati field, a shallow water maritime
production concession located in
the Camamu Basin, in the Brazilian
state of Bahia.
The sale is in line with the company’s
decision to focus its resources increasingly
on deep and ultra-deep waters.
The Manati field is located at a
distance of 10 km from the coast of the
city of Cairú, in water depths between
35 and 50 m. The field started operating
in 2007 and its average production in
2019 was 105 bpd of condensate and
1.26 million m3/d of gas, through the
PMNT-1 fixed platform, which involves
a subsea structure composed of six gas
producing wells.
Petrobras is the operator of the field,
with a 35% stake, in partnership with
Enauta Participações (45%), Geopark Brasil
E&P de Petróleo e Gás Ltda. (10%) and
Brasoil Manati Exploração Petrolífera Ltda.
(10%).
OKEA expects delay in
first oil from Yme field
OKEA ASA has announced that permitted
production volumes for the Draugen
field (44.56% working interest) for June
and 2H20 have been reduced from
3.63 million bbl to 3.43 million bbl, as a
result of the Norwegian Government’s
decision in April to implement restriction
measures for oil production for 2020.
In order to re-optimise the operation
and production at Draugen, bi-annual
maintenance shutdown has been moved
from September to late June. On this basis,
OKEA maintains the production guidance
for 2020 of 14 000 – 15 000 boe/d on
average.
Implementation of COVID-19 related
infection control measures and travel
restrictions has resulted in significantly
lower availability of personnel at the
Aker Solutions yard in Egersund, Norway,
where the Maersk Inspirer rig for the Yme
project (15% WI) is undergoing an upgrade.
In case of prolonged restrictions, in
addition to the inherent schedule risk of all
large modification projects, OKEA expects
first oil for Yme to be delayed to 1H21.
Melbana Energy given
drilling permit extension
Melbana Energy has been advised by
Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum
Titles Administrator that its application
for a 12-month suspension of the work
programme conditions in respect of
Permit Year 3 (with a corresponding
extension of the permit term) for
Petroleum Exploration Permit WA-488-P
has been approved. Permit Year 3 will now
end on 21 December 2021.
WA-488-P contains the giant
Beehive prospect – a carbonate build
up that has been independently
assessed to have a prospective resource
of 388 million boe (best estimate). A
3D seismic survey has been completed
over the prospect and the company has
said that considerable progress has been
made on planning and permitting for an
exploration well.