PHE awaiting results of Karama 1st exploration well drilling
Saturday, March 3 2012 - 05:19 AM WIB
PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), a subsidiary of state oil and gas company PT Pertamina, is now waiting for the drilling results of the Anoman exploration well, the first of three wells planned to be drilled in deepwater Karama block in the Makassar Strait.
President Director of PHE Salis Aprilian told Petromindo.com the drilling of Anoman well has been 80 percent completed. It probably will take another two weeks to complete it. The cost to drill one exploration well in the deepwater block reaches about US$75 million, he elaborated.
The Karama Block is operated by Statoil of Norway with a 51 percent interest, while PHE holds the rest. The block is located at the south of the Kuma block, off western Sulawesi. Statoil has a 40 percent interest in Kuma.
During the first three years the companies had planned to conduct 1,900 square kilometers of 3D seismic survey and drill three exploration wells. The Karama block covers 4,286 sq km in 800-2,200 m of water.
Salis admitted that he is anxiously waiting for the drilling result of the first exploration well of the Kurama Block because the results of exploration wells drilling in the some parts of Makassar Strait had not all been good stories lately. Some oil and gas companies had hit dry holes, while some others were considering to postpone their drilling plan.
Editing by Roffie Kurniawan