Ophir commits to fourth Bualuang oil field phase off Thailand

Ophir Energy PLC committed to a fourth development phase at Bualuang oil field in the Gulf of Thailand, starting with infill drilling this year of three wells being redrilled plus two workovers.

Ophir’s plans to install a 12-slot platform (Bualuang C) in 2019 with a bridge to the existing Alpha and Bravo infrastructure.

The fourth development phase targets 9.9 million bbl of reserves in this phase, with an estimated development cost of $138 million. Ophir also could drill various satellite targets adjacent to Bualuang.

The field’s production averaged 8,300 boe/d in 2017, with infill drilling helping to offset natural declines. The company added a debottlenecking program that increased Bualuang’s water-handling capacity to 75,000 b/d.