By an OGJ Online Correspondent
BANGKOK, Jan. 23 -- Unocal Corp. will spend $440 million in Thailand this year, mostly to maintain gas output at 1 bcfd.
The company's budget for that area, up 10% over 2001, will be spent on attempts to arrest natural gas production decline, start up North Pailin gas field, and ramp up crude production.
Unocal Thailand will drill up to 230 wells in 2002, double 2001's count. Most are development wells -- only 11-12 will be exploration wells. In 2001, the company drilled 91 wells, of which 81 were development wells and the other 10 were exploration wells.
Output of condensate should increase slightly in 2002, in line with natural gas production. Production of condensate last year was about 35,000 b/d, compared to around 39,000 b/d in 2000, partly because of lower condensate yields from the gas wells.