A Japanese operator has made the first discovery in solely Indonesian waters of the western Arafura Sea east of the Zone of Cooperation in an area where the government plans to tender more blocks this year.
The Inpex Masela Ltd. unit of Indonesian Petroleum Ltd., Tokyo, said its Abadi-1 wildcat on the Masela PSC Block flowed 25 MMcfd of gas and 260 b/d of condensate.
The site is 140 miles northeast of the 1988 Evans Shoal gas discovery and a similar distance southwest of Tanimbar Island.
Abadi-1 went to 4,230 m in 457 m of water. The 5,725 sq km Masela PSC Block is in 300-1,000 m of water 800 km east of Kupang, West Timor.
Inpex did not reveal geology, but the find appears to be in the Calder graben. Inpex holds 100% interest in the block.
Inpex said further assessment and exploration are needed to determine the discovery's economic potential. It will use well data to evaluate the structure and work out a plan for further work.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government is preparing to issue a tender for 21 exploration blocks (OGJ Online, Jan. 23, 2001). The government took over concession-awarding tasks from state-owned Pertamina this year.
Rachmat Sudibyo, director-general for oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said his office would still work with Pertamina in calling the tenders, which will be similar to those handled by the state agency since the 1960s.
The government will offer six blocks in the Arafura Sea, six in the Makassar Straits, two in the Natuna Sea, two in the Seram Sea, two in East Kalimantan, two in South Sulawesi, and one in central Kalimantan, on Borneo Island.
