Wortel-3 drilling at Sampang PSC delayed due to rig timing

Australian oil, gas firm Cue Energy Limited reported on Wednesday that Wortel-3 delineation drilling in Sampang PSC offshore East Java would be delayed to second half of this year due to rig timing.

Sampang PSC partnership originally intended to drill the well in H1 2008.

The well would be drilled to established the full potential of Wortel discovery gas discovery, located 7 kms west of the Oyong gas field, which is located in the same PSC area.

The company said during the 4th quarter of 2007, a 360-kms infill 2D seismic was undertaken over Wortel and three nearby leads. The data is currently being processed and will be used to assist in locating the Wortel-3 well and to determine the prospectivity of the leads, the company said.

? The close proximity of Wortel to Oyong allows the possibility of developing Wortel gas through Oyong facilities, with Wortel gas potentially coming onstream at the same time as Oyong gas,? the company said.

Oyong has already started oil production last September with gas seen to come onstream in 2009-2010.

The participants in the Sampang PSC are: Santos (Sampang) Pty Ltd (Operator) 45%, Singapore Petroleum Company Limited 40%, Cue Sampang Pty Ltd 15%. (alex)