TEPI celebrating 40th anniversary of Handil field

Total E&P Indonesie (TEPI), a subsidiary of French firm Total SA, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Handil field within Mahakam block in East Kalimantan, proudly noting that after 40 years of production, the field is still producing 15,000 bpd of oil and 30 mmscfd of associated gas.

A modest ceremony was held on Thursday in Muara Jawa, Kutai Kartanegara to mark the 40th anniversary of the field, the firm said in a statement.

?Such volume of production can be achieved thanks to our hard work in managing wells within the mature field, which total more than 600, around 110 of which are still alive and producing. An extra effort is needed to keep the integrity of the fields using technological innovations to keep it in operation maximally and safely,? TEPI?s President Director & General Manager Hardy Pramono said.

At the start of its operation in 1975, when its reservoir pressure is still high, the Handil field was producing the natural way. Wells that had been drilled could immediately come into production without supporting equipment. Over time, as the field was turning mature and its reservoir?s pressure was weakening, in order to maintain production, TEPI applied water injection technology since 1978, gas injection technology since 1995, coupled with artificial lifting system, using gas lift and electrical submersible pump.

He said Handil is a good place for young generation to get experiences in oil and gas operation.

The field was discovered in March 1974 and started production in July 1975. In its peak production, the field produced up to 194,000 bopd. Its total oil production over the past 40 years reached 900 million barrels (including condensate) and more than 1.879 tcf of gas.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon