By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, July 26 -- A production-sharing contractor made a 5 tcf natural gas discovery in the Luwuk Banggai regency of central Sulawesi in Indonesia, officials of Pertamina, the state oil company, said Thursday.
PT Exspan Tomori Sulawesi made that find following completion of its Senoro No. 2 well earlier this month, which flowed at a rate of 20 MMcfd of gas and 435 b/d of condensate, officials said.
The latest discovery in central Sulawesi could be developed to supply a new power generation plant, a pattern established by other successful exploration and production companies in that area, which faces a potential electric shortage, said officials.
Exspan expanded into the natural gas business with its recent gas discoveries and may now move into electric power generation, sources said.
Meanwhile, the company also made an oil discovery in the south Sumatera extension block. It was testing a discovery in the Sumatera block, where its Matra No. 2 well flowed 1,100 b/d of crude, officials said. A follow-up well, the Matra No. 3, is planned.
Pertamina officials said Exspan is expected to propose a development plan for Matra and Senoro fields. Matra oil field could be brought into production by 2003 as an assist to Pertamina's plans to boost future oil output, said officials.
