Three new gas fields begin production in first quarter

Three gas fields with a combined production capacity of about 130 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) have begun their commercial production, further adding gas supply for both households and industrial buyers.

?The three gas fields went onstream in the first quarter of this year. The additional production will increase gas supply for the domestic market,? Gde Pradnyana, Head of Public Relations, Security and Formality at upstream oil and gas regulatory body BPMIGAS said.

The three gas fields include the APN E&F field in the Offshore North West Java (ONWJ) block which is operated by Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE-ONWJ); the Wortel field in the Sampang block, which is operated Santos (Sampang) Ltd; and the Tembang Subsea field in B block which is operated by ConocoPhillips Indonesia.

The APN E&F and Tembang Subsea fields have a potential production capacity of 50 mmscfd and 40 mmscfd, respectively, while the Wortel field is expected to be able to produce 40 mmscfd of gas and 500 barrels per day of oil and 250 bpd of condensat.

In addition to the three fields, other upstream oil and gas projects completed during the first quarter of this year also included the installation of a gas pipeline which will be used to deliver oil at the Tampi field in the Merangin Dua block in Musi Rawas, South Sumatra.

The field which is operated by Sele Raya Merangin Dua has begun production since 2010. Due to the lack of a pipeline, the oil has so far been transported by a truck to a nearby port. With the operation of the new pipeline, the operator plans to increase production to 1,900 bpd from 1,300 bpd at present.

Editing by David Mustakim