Talisman: Truong Son sharpens drillbit for exploration wells
Upstream, June 25
The Truong Son joint operating company, which includes Canadian independent Talisman Energy, is limbering up for two near-field oil exploration wells off Vietnam, writes Russell Searancke.
The Canadian company holds a 30% interest in the JOC with the remainder held by Petronas Carigali (30%) and PetroVietnam Exploration & Production Company (40%).
Last December, the JOC struck oil with its first exploration well in Vietnam.
The Song Doc-1X well, drilled by the jack-up Ensco 57, flowed at a rate of 7300 barrels per day of 38-degrees API oil but was constrained by testing equipment.
Block 46/02 was awarded to the group in December 2002 and lies adjacent to the Talisman-operated block PM-3 in the Malaysia/Vietnam commercial arrangement area, or PM-3 CAA.
Song Doc-1X is 13 kilometres north-west of the Bunga Kekwa-C wellhead platform in the PM-3 CAA.
General manager for Talisman Malaysia, Nick Walker, said the JOC had acquired 300 square kilometres of 3D seismic data this year and would spud the first well in July.
"We are focusing on oil prospects in the vicinity of Song Doc," he said.
Talisman had said previously that block 46/02 was interpreted to contain an extension to the PM-3 CAA play and offered the potential "for a number of small field discoveries that can be quickly and economically tied back to the PM-3 CAA facilities".
Block 46/02 covers about 12,000 square kilometres and lies 160 kilometres off the southern coast of Vietnam in the Malay-Tho Chu basin. The water depth is between 120 feet and 150 feet. |
