Unocal’s Attaka gas field resumes production

Upstream oil and gas authority BP Migas said on Monday that Unocal-operated Attaka gas field offshore East Kalimantan had resumed gas production and expected the field to reach its pre-accident output level within the next few days.

BP Migas deputy chairman in charge of oil and gas projects operations Trijana Kartoatmodjo told Petromindo.Com that repairworks on the Attaka field had been completed and the repair team is closely monitoring the field’s condition.

Gas and condensate production from Attaka was halted on February 21 after a compressor in one of the field’s offshore platform caught fire. Prior to the incident, the field produced some 105 million standard cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of natural gas and 13,000 barrels per day of condensate. Natural gas produced from the field is piped to Badak LNG plant in Bontang.

Production disruption in Attaka had caused Bontang to seek shipping reschedule to its Japan and South Korean customers, as other East Kalimantan gas producers such as Total SA and VICO could not make up production loss from Attaka.

Unocal has 50 percent interest in Attaka, with the remaining balance held by Japan’s Inpex. (godang)