Novus, partner commences East Java 2nd exploration drilling

Australian listed oil, gas firm Novus Petroleum Limited announced on Wednesday that its joint venture partner Lapindo Brantas Inc, the operator of Novus' 50% held Brantas Production Sharing Contract (PSC) in East Java, had commenced drilling of the Carat-1 exploration well.

Novus said the drilling, which commenced on Monday, 3 December was the second well in a three well drilling campaign in the Brantas PSC.

The first exploration well, Tanggulangin-1, intersected several significant gas bearing reservoirs.

According to Novus, the Carat structure is a simple four-way-dip closed anticline and is located 5 km south of the producing Wunut gas field. The well is targeting the Plio-Pliocene age reservoirs. The prognosed total depth of the well is 800m and it is expected to take 17 days to drill.

?The third well, Grati-1, will target the Pliocene reservoirs in a fault-closed structure and the prognosed total depth is 850m. The well location is about 40 km southeast of Wunut producing gas field and is in close proximity to the state electricity authority PLN power plant, which could provide a ready market for the gas. Alternatively, the regional gas grid of state gas firm PGN passes within a few kilometers of the prospect,? said Novus in a statement.

Novus said the drilling campaign is targeting approximately 200 billion cubic feet (Bcf) recoverable gas reserves. (alex/robert)