Exxon Mobil to drill 3rd well at deepwater blocks

US oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. will spud a third exploration well in its deepwater blocks in Makassar Strait this week.

The Company?s Indonesian unit ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia (EMOI) will drill Kris-1 well in Mandar block this week, EMOI senior official Maman Budiman told Petromindo.Com on Monday.

Maman said that the well will be drilled using West Aquarius rig owned by Seadrill, the same rig used to drill previous two wells.

EMOI had earlier drilled Sultan-1 well in Mandar PSC block and another well called Rangkong in adjacent Surumana PSC block. Exxon Mobil has yet announced results for the two wells but official at upstream oil, gas authority BPMIGAS said both wells failed to discover commercial hydrocarbon.

Maman said in January 2010 that EMOI would spend around US$100 million to drill the third well. EMOI has commitment to drill three wells at each block.

Exxon has 80 percent interest in both blocks with Malaysian firm Petronas has the remaining balance. (godang)