Thicker Toro gas found at P'nyang South, Papua New Guinea

April 20, 2012
A sidetrack of the P’nyang South-1 well in Papua New Guinea is interpreted to have extended the gas-bearing Toro sandstone 200 m deeper than the lowest known gas in P’nyang South-1, indicating an increase in the total gas column to 380 m, said Oil Search Ltd., Sydney.

A sidetrack of the P’nyang South-1 well in Papua New Guinea is interpreted to have extended the gas-bearing Toro sandstone 200 m deeper than the lowest known gas in P’nyang South-1, indicating an increase in the total gas column to 380 m, said Oil Search Ltd., Sydney.

The sidetrack intersected the top of Toro downdip and 1.1 km south of the original P’nyang South-1 well. It successfully drilled through the gas-water contact as planned.

Seismic interpretation and structural mapping suggest further updip potential above P’nyang South-1 and indicate a potential vertical gas column in P’nyang South field of more than 650 m, Oil Search said.

Oil Search, with 38.5% interest, drilled the sidetrack to 2,944 m under contract with the operator, Esso PNG P’nyang Ltd. ExxonMobil affiliates have 49% interest in the sidetrack, and JX Nippon has 12.5%.

Explorer New Guinea Energy Ltd., Sydney, pointed out that Oil Search’s P’nyang South well on PRL 3 is 2 km north of the boundary with NGE’s PPL 269.

Oil Search said the presence of gas is indicated in the Toro, Digimu, and P’nyang sands at the initial P’nyang South-1 well but the underlying Koi-Iange sandstone appears to be water wet. P’nyang South is 90 km northwest of giant Juha gas-condensate field.