Pertamina, partners to drill first Semai exploration well

PT Pertamina Hulu Energy (PHE), an upstream unit of state oil, gas firm PT Pertamina (Persero), and its partners are planning to drill first exploration well next month in Semai II PSC, offshore West Papua, the company?s director told Petromindo.Com.

Operation director Eddy Purnomo said on Thursday that the well, named Lengkuas-1 well, will be drilled to a total depth of 6,000 meters in a water depth of 900 meters

He said that the company and its partners plan to drill a total of 3 wells in the block.

In June 2010, Pertamina acquired a 5 percent interest of ceach Murphy Oil Corp, PTTEP, and Inpex Corp. in the Semai II block.

US energy firm Murphy Oil Corp, Thailand?s PTTEP and Inpex of Japan each previously held a 33.33 percent interest in the block. With the acquisition, signed on June 17, the three companies now each holds a 28.3 percent interest in the block.

Semai II offshore block covers approximately 3,300 square kilometers, located south of West Papua.

The block was awarded in November 2008, with Murphy Oil Corp as the operator.

Under the contract, the partners will conduct a 3D seismic survey and drill 3 exploration wells in the first three years. They paid US$11 million in signature bonus to the government and are committted to invest a total of $138.5 million in the first three years. (bernard)