By an OGJ correspondent
BANGKOK, Mar. 17 -- Natural gas production from Nam Phong, Thailand's first commercial gas field operated by a unit of ExxonMobil Corp., could last beyond 2010, albeit at declining rates.
Executives at Esso Exploration Khorat Inc. said there might be 150 bcf of recoverable gas reserves remaining in Nam Phong, which began production in December 1990. The field, in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, originally was estimated to contain 1.5 tcf of gas, but subsequent studies put its total recoverable proved reserves at 440 bcf.
Nam Phong's production peaked at 125 MMcfd in 1998. Esso Khorat executives expect its production to fall to 50 MMcfd this year from seven wells currently producing. However, the company is looking at various ways—including reservoir acidization—to stimulate field productivity.
Beyond that, Esso Khorat officials said Nam Phong's highly complex geology might not justify additional spending. The company has spent more than $300 million on exploration and development in Thailand, mostly in the northeastern region.
