Murphy has Sabah deepwater gas discovery

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 5 -- Murphy Oil Corp. said its Rotan-1 deepwater exploration well off Sabah, Malaysia, "encountered significant natural gas pay" in a single zone.

It is the company's first discovery in four exploration wells on the block (OGJ, Dec. 11, 2006, p. 15).

Subsurface details were scant, but the well went to TD 7,024 ft in 3,773 ft of water 80 km from shore and 50 km from the nearest producing field to the southeast. Petronas operates that field.

The well encountered sweet, dry gas, Murphy said. It gave no specific appraisal plan or timing but said a rig could return before the end of 2007.

Block H interests are Murphy 80% and Petronas 20%.