Eni to drill deepwater well in March

Italian oil firm Eni SpA is currently moving its rig from Aceh to Makassar Strait to conduct drilling at its deepwater Bukat PSC, a senior official at upstream oil, gas authority BPMIGAS said.

Deputy Chairman Achmad Luthfi told Petromindo.Com on Monday that the Italian company will drill Aster-5 well in Bukat.

Luthfi said the well would be spudded early March. He added that the well would be drilled to make way for Eni to submit Plan of Development for the block.

In May 2007, Eni announced that that appraisal drilling at Aster field has shown 28?API oil flowing at a maximum rate of over 5,000 barrels of oil per day. Eni has drilled four wells in Aster.

In September 2007, upstream oil and gas authority BPMIGAS estimates Eni had discovered recoverable oil reserves of 62 million barrels in the Aster field of the block.

Bukat is operated by Italian oil firm Eni SpA with 66.25 percent interest in Aster. U.S. oil firm Anadarko Petroleum has 33.75 percent interest in Aster.(bernard)