Melbourne-based oil and gas producer Bass Oil says continued high monthly average oil prices of US$68.52 had piqued performance at its 55%-owned Tangai-Sukananti oil field onshore Sumatra, Indonesia, in July.
The company said during July production volumes had totalled 11,350 barrels of oil (6,243 barrels net to Bass) and sales volumes 11,628 barrels of oil.
However, production and sales had been impacted by scale problems at production wells. Bass said a remediation program underway was expected to restore daily production levels to those achieved in May, “with a strong full year (31 December 18) of oil production still expected”.
The company also said planning was advanced for a two development well drilling program at Tangai-Sukananti which was expected to commence late in the December quarter.
Total production in July was also impacted by the underperformance of the Bunian 1 and 3 wells.
“The Bunian 1 sucker rod pump, which was showing signs of pump wear in June, failed in July. A workover rig was mobilised to location in August to replace the pump and restore production from the well. Bass is still planning to replace the Bunian 1 sucker rod pump with an Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) which is in procurement. The ESP is expected to significantly increase the offtake from this well and increase pump reliability and run life,” Bass said.
“Bunian 3 production continues to be impacted by scale formation in the upper section of the wellbore. A wireline unit was mobilised to perform a scale clean out with the well returned to production early in July,” the company added.
“The clean out was only partially successful. A Coiled Tubing Unit (CTU) is being mobilised to site in mid-August to perform a scale clean out targeting the more persistent scale blockage in the wellbore.
“Once the workover rig has completed the pump repair at the Bunian 1 well, the rig will move to the Tangai1 well to install a sucker rod pump which will increase offtake from this well.”
In the December quarter Bass plans to drill the Bunian 5 and Tangai 5 development wells, which are set to “significantly increase the production capacity of the Tangai-Sukananti field as well as increase developed reserves”.
Planning work for the upgrade of the Bunian and Tangai production facilities continues. A facility upgrade is required to process the additional oil and fluid production anticipated following the completion of the drilling phase of the work program.
