Pertamina EP Drills Four Oil Wells In Sorong Regency, SKK Migas: Bumi Papua Has Promising Oil And Gas Potential

The SKK Migas team inspects the MKS-001 exploitation well in Sorong Regency, West Papua Province. (Photo: Doc. Antara/SKK Migas Representative of Papua and Maluku)

JAKARTA - The Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) stated that PT Pertamina EP Cepu Zone 14 drilled four new oil wells in Sorong Regency, West Papua Province. The four wells consist of one exploitation well and three exploration wells.

Head of SKK Migas Dwi Soetjipto said the drilling of the four wells showed that oil and gas drilling was active again after eight years of no drilling activity in the area. "Drilling activities carried out by PT Pertamina EP Cepu Zone 14 in the West Papua region, a remote area at the eastern tip of Indonesia, is a challenge in itself in planning and operating the Papua Drilling Campaign," said Dwi in a statement quoted by Antara, Sunday, June 26.

Specifically for drilling the passion fruit exploration well (MKS)-001 in Sorong Regency, West Papua, starting on June 22, 2022. The drilling of this well uses the PDSI #28.2/D1000-E rig with a power of 1,000 horsepower (HP).

The rig mobilization activity to the MKS-001 well location began on May 16, 2022, where previously this rig had successfully completed drilling the SLW-A9 exploitation well in the remote area, Salawati, Papua Field.

Operations were faster than planned and produced hydrocarbons above target. The rig mobilization lasted for 25 days with a total load of 171 loads.

SKK Migas expressed its appreciation for the activities of drilling exploration wells in the working area of West Papua. Bumi Papua has promising oil and gas potential and is currently one of the main contributors in achieving national oil and gas production and lifting.

He said the enthusiasm for more massive exploration drilling is shown by the plan to drill exploration wells in 2022 to reach 42 exploration wells, an increase of 150 percent compared to the realization of drilling exploration wells in 2021 as many as 28 wells.

Therefore, he added, SKK Migas management pays attention so that KKKS can realize all exploration well drilling programs this year.

It is hoped that all those involved in drilling the Markisa-001 exploration well are expected to always put occupational safety, health and environmental protection (K3LL) as the top priority. In addition, it is emphasized to always apply protocols in the context of preventing and overcoming COVID-19.

For information, the MKS-001 well is located in Kasih Village, Mairat District, Sorong Regency, West Papua. This Exploration Drilling is intended to test and evaluate the potential oil and gas content contained in the Kais Formation.

This well will be drilled vertically with a planned final well depth of 6,788 ft and an estimated work time of 71 working days until completion of the well.