Valeura Energy Inc. completed an eight-well drilling campaign in Nong Yao field in License G11/48 offshore Gulf of Thailand. The campaign included the company’s first ever multi-lateral development well.

The program included one appraisal well which encountered its target as intended and will give rise to future development drilling at the Nong Yao A platform. The remaining seven were drilled as horizontal development wells from both the Nong Yao A and B platforms, all encountering their targets successfully, and are being brought online as producers. 

Among the development wells, NYA-42ST1H set a new Gulf of Thailand horizontal lateral record, according to Valeura, measuring 4,960 ft.

Aggregate oil production increased because of both the drilling campaign and a well-workover campaign conducted concurrently on Nong Yao B and C platforms. Rates have increased to about 10,500 b/d (net) compared with about 8,870 b/d before the program.

As part of the drilling campaign, Valeura successfully executed its first multilateral well. A complex junction was constructed within well NYB-02ST1 from which two separate horizontal production legs were drilled in turn, each targeting a different reservoir interval (and are thereby recorded as two separate development wells). 

The two lateral development intervals are now delivering oil from separate development targets, while occupying only one well slot on the wellhead. Valeura sees potential for multi-lateral drilling across its portfolio and is evaluating its forward drilling schedule to identify suitable candidates on its other Gulf of Thailand fields which may lend themselves to wells with two (or more) separate lateral production legs.

Valeura’s contracted drilling rig has now been mobilized to Jasmine field (Block B5/27, 100% interest) where the company plans to conduct a five-well drilling program comprised of three single-bore development wells and a two-wellbore multi-lateral development well.

Nong Yao oil field produces medium sweet crude oil from reservoirs of Miocene age. The field has been developed from two wellhead platforms and a mobile offshore production unit which are connected to a Valeura-owned floating, storage, and offloading (FSO) vessel. It contains 13.9 million bbls of 2P oil reserves on a gross (before royalties) working interest share basis.

Valeura is operator at block G11/48 (90%) with Palang Sophon holding the remaining 10%.