Eni and partners (Neptune and Agra Energi) have announced a major gas and condensate discovery at the Geng North-1 well in Indonesia. The well, delayed by the pandemic, was drilled to 5,025 m in 1,947 m water depth between July and September 2023 in the North Ganal PSC.
Eni has reported estimated initial in-place volumes of 5 TCF gas and 400 MMb of condensate. Geng North-1 encountered a 50 m gas column in a Miocene sandstone reservoir with excellent petrophysical properties. Successful well testing and modelling means Eni estimate a capacity of up to 80 to 100 mmscfd and about 5-6 mbpd of condensate.
Eni is consolidating its position in the major gas province, and the Geng North discovery will be a welcome addition to support gas and condensate development hubs in the Kutei Basin. Eni bought out the Chevron interest in the Rapak and Ganal blocks nearby recently, and is also in the process of acquiring Neptune’s Indonesian interests. The adjacent gas discoveries in Rapak and Ganal are now more likely to be developed, in what Eni calls the Indonesia Deepwater Development area (IDD).
The large find will also support Eni’s goal to increase its LNG portfolio, with a new production hub envisioned, supplying gas to the Bontang LNG facility in East Kalimantan. The IDD area contains around 5 TCF in existing discoveries, and further gas exploration is planned.
In 2021, Eni and Neptune (with Pertamina) drilled a successful appraisal on the Maha gas field on West Ganal, in the mature Mahakam Delta within the Kutei Basin southwest of Geng North. The appraisal came 20 years after the discovery well. Eni drilled the well with partners Pertamina and Neptune Energy on the West Ganal block. Maha 2 recovered gas in deltaic clastics. The well tested 34 mmcfgd from 43m net reservoir in Pliocene sands, and the development plan may utilise a subsea tie-back to the nearby Jangrik FPU.
Eni have been exploring and developing gas in the basin for decades, and the opportunity to revisit some of the early discoveries in the Ganal region has proven successful so far, with Maha expected to hold up to 600 bcf gas. Eni was awarded the North Ganal Block as operator in the 1st Indonesian International Bid Round 2011, with Niko Resources Ltd., Black Platinum Energy Ltd, Statoil and GDF SUEZ. The current operating group consists of Eni, Neptune and Agra Energi.
