MIDEAST CRISIS SPURS THAILAND GAS DEMAND INCREASE

The Persian Gulf crisis sparked a big gain in Thailand's gas demand in first quarter 1991. Unocal Thailand's sales from its Gulf of Thailand gas fields to state owned Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) increased 23.48% to 61.63 bcf in comparison with last year's first quarter. The surge in demand came when PTT sought to substitute domestic gas for oil imports lost when Iraqi and Kuwaiti oil supplies were embargoed in the wake of Iraq's blitz of Kuwait. Average Gulf of

Sept. 23, 1991

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The Persian Gulf crisis sparked a big gain in Thailand's gas demand in first quarter 1991.

Unocal Thailand's sales from its Gulf of Thailand gas fields to state owned Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) increased 23.48% to 61.63 bcf in comparison with last year's first quarter.

The surge in demand came when PTT sought to substitute domestic gas for oil imports lost when Iraqi and Kuwaiti oil supplies were embargoed in the wake of Iraq's blitz of Kuwait.

GAS DELIVERIES JUMP

Average Gulf of Thailand gas deliveries for the first quarter jumped to 684.73 MMcfd from 554.52 MMcfd in first quarter 1990.

The increase was made possible with completion of the $28.5 million gas compression unit Unocal installed the Gulf of Thailand in second half 1990.

The biggest increase came from the main gulf field, Erawan, which posted a 34.53% gain to 23.4 bcf.

Delivery from the gulf's second major field, Satun, increased only 6.8% to 18.7 bcf. However, South Satun, an extension of the main Satun reservoir that was not on stream during first quarter 1990, contributed 5.75 bcf in first quarter 1991.

From Kaphong field, gas delivery rose 12.47% to 5.6 bcf in a comparison of the two periods.

Two fields showed declines in a quarter to quarter comparison. Baanpot deliveries dropped to 2.5 bcf from 4.3 bcf, and Platong deliveries slid to 3.6 bcf from 4.2 bcf.

CONDENSATE FLOW

Sales of Gulf of Thailand condensate in the first quarter increased 21.39% to 1.98 million bbl vs. the year ago period.

Average condensate sales in the first quarter were 22,009 b/d, up from 18,129 b/d in the 1990 period.

Major condensate producers in first quarter 1991 were Erawan 913,727 bbl and Satun 536,790 bbl. Others were Kaphong 194,738 bbl, South Satun 145,802 bbl, Platong 125,435 bbl, and Baanpot 64,351 bbl.

About three fourths of condensate production is exported to Unocal's U.S. West Coast network.