OGJ Correspondent
MELBOURNE, Oct. 2 -- London-based Rift Oil has flowed 29.2 MMcfd of gas during a test in its Puk Puk-1 wildcat on Papua New Guinea permit PPL235 in the country's Western Province.
The flow came from combined Toro Sandstone and Lower Hedinia pay intervals in the well.
A separate flow from the Lower Hedinia last week measured 20.85 MMcfd.
Rift now plans to isolate these two zones and test the Upper Hedinia zone in the structure. Once flow rates have stabilized, the company also plans to use its onsite separator equipment to measure the liquids content of the gas.
Rift is particularly pleased with the Lower Hedinia flow rate because it comes from thinner sands. The company adds that initial flow rates from the Toro are in line with expectations from this well-developed reservoir.
Testing at Puk Puk (the term is Pidgin English for crocodile) will be completed later this month. The company is also running a 210 km 2D seismic program in the area.
A strong final result will enhance the company's plans for supplying gas to a floating LNG plant in the Gulf of Papua via an onshore-offshore pipeline from the discovery.
Rift recently signed a heads of agreement with Norwegian company Flex LNG to jointly develop Rift's onshore gas reserves in PNG via the floating facility.
Rift also has a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with aluminium company Alco to supply about 40 bcf/year of gas to Alcan's alumina plant at Gove in Australia's Northern Territory for 20 years.
