Salamander Energy PLC has suspended its North Kendang-1 exploratory well as a potential wet gas discovery on the South East Sangatta PSC in the North Kutei basin offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
While drilling to the present 2,535 m true vertical depth subsea, the well penetrated a predominantly shale-prone section throughout the Pliocene.
The company said, “On reaching what is prognosed to be the first Upper Miocene reservoir target at 2,533 m TVDSS, the well took a significant kick from an influx of high pressure hydrocarbon gas into the well bore at a wellhead pressure of circa 4,000 psi.
“As a result of encountering high pressure gas, the well experienced operational challenges ultimately leading to its suspension before evaluating the reservoir section. The gas has been sampled and is being analyzed with initial results pointing to a wet gas, while pressure data indicate a potentially significant column height.”
The Ocean General semisubmersible is being mobilized to the Bontang PSC to drill Bedug-1, third well in Salamander’s multiwell North Kutei basin program. Bedug-1 is south of North Kendang-1 and east of the company’s Angklung discovery also on the Bontang PSC. Angklung is a commercial gas discovery in Lower Pliocene sandstone and also discovered an Upper Miocene oil play (OGJ Online, Nov. 29, 2010).
Salamander is reviewing the option to return to North Kendang-1 as part of the present campaign in order to deepen it to evaluate Upper Miocene.
In February 2013, Salamander completed South Kecapi-1 on Bontang as a Pliocene channel sandstone oil and gas discovery after drillstem testing it at rates of 6,000 b/d of 33.4° gravity oil, limited by test equipment capacity, and 8 MMcfd of gas. South Kecapi is 4 km west of Bedug, and the Bontang and South East Sangatta PSCs lie 60-75 km north of giant Attaka oil and gas field.
