Pan Orient says drilling at Citarum encouraging despite difficulties

By Alexander Ginting

Despite encountering technical difficulties at Citarum PSC onshore West Java, Canadian oil, gas firm Pan Orient Energy Corp. said that exploration drilling operations at Jatayu-1 was ?very encouraging?.

The well commenced drilling on February 15, 2012 towards a primary reservoir objective target depth of 7,382 feet. At 6,156 a drilling break occurred where the penetration rate increased from 16 feet per hour to 54 feet per hour over a 50 foot interval while drilling through sands, suggesting porous sands.

Associated with this drilling break was an influx of gas (18% mudgas, above 0.8% background) into the wellbore that required an increase in mud weight and two to three hours to circulate the gas out of the mud system. Shortly, the pipe became stuck.

The well is currently being plugged back to the 9 5/8" casing shoe at 1,444 meters and will be drilled vertically.

?The drilling break with associated gas influx observed in a secondary sandstone objective above the main reservoir target was very encouraging. The gas composition appears to be of biogenic origin (mainly methane), similar to the approximately 780 Bcf Subang gas field to the north in an adjacent concession,? the company said.

Pan Orient, which has 97 percent interest in the block, is currently conducting 3-well drilling campaign in the block starting December 2011, with Cataka-1 well,which encountered severe drilling difficulties and the decision was made in February 2012 to junk and abandon the well at a depth of approximately 400 meters TVD, 1,500 meters above the primary reservoir objective.

Upon the completion of drilling at the Jatayu-1 well, the rig will mobilize to the Geulis prospect and then back to re-drill the Cataka prospect (Cataka-1A)

Editing by David Mustakim