Cambodia may have its first commercial hydrocarbon discovery.
Cambodia Petroleum Exploration Co. (CPEC), a joint venture of Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. and Nissho Iwai Corp., found oil and gas with the first of two wells on its exploration and development concession Block III in the Gulf of Thailand off Kompong Som Port (see map, OGJ, Oct. 14, 1991, p. 28).
CPEC's wildcat failed to find hydrocarbons at 3,000 m. A second test, at 2,300 m, yielded traces of oil and gas. And the third test in the same hole indicated an oil and gas reservoir at 2,500 m, although flow rates were not disclosed.
CPEC spudded the wildcat, the first of two planned on the 3,670 sq km Block III, in December (OGJ, Sept. 20, 1993, p. 32). CPEC holds a 100% interest in the block, which lies 75 200 km offshore. The venture plans to spud a second well on the concession soon.
OTHER DRILLING
Meantime, a group led by Enterprise Oil Exploration Ltd. has spudded a wildcat on Block II, one of two awarded the group in 1991.
After results from that well are analyzed, the group plans to spud a second wildcat, on Block 1. Plans call for drilling a total of four wildcats on the two blocks, each of which covers about 5,000 sq km 90 100 miles off Kompong Som.
Cambodia allocated the two blocks to Enterprise 60% and France's Cie. Europeene des Petroles 40%, at the time the first exploration contract the government had awarded in almost 20 years. British Gas plc later acquired an interest in the acreage (OGJ, Nov. 23, 1992, p. 39).
A group led by another U.K. independent, Premier Consolidated Oilfields plc, expects to spud its first wildcat off Cambodia on Block IV in April. The 4,770 sq km block lies directly north of CPEC's Block III.
Cambodia awarded the block to the Premier group in 1991 (OGJ, Nov. 4, 1991, p. 30). Partners at the time were Repsol Exploration, Australasian Oil Exploration Ltd., and Santos Ltd.
In other Cambodian activity, the government terminated contracts of two Dutch firms, Marimex By and Technitrade, because they failed to invest in exploration programs. Their concessions will be reoffered by Cambodia's Department of Geology and Mines, which also is seeking approval from the Council of Ministers for another tender round covering a few remaining offshore blocks and several onshore blocks not previously awarded in an earlier round.
Most of Cambodia's offshore prospects lie just east of Thailand's major gas producing province in the Gulf of Thailand. Any oil discovered would have to be exported because Cambodia has no active refineries.
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