LNG importer Kuwait makes first gas discovery as overseas operator offshore LNG exporter Indonesia
LNG importer Kuwait has made its first natural gas discovery as an operator offshore during a drilling campaign in the waters of LNG exporting nation Indonesia.
Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) announced the successful commercial discovery of gas in Indonesia's Anambas Block.
KUFPEC (Indonesia) made the discovery through the successful drilling of the Anambas-2X well.
Acting Chief Executive of KUFPEC, Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah, stated that this “exciting discovery” marked the first operated offshore exploration discovery for KUFPEC.
“It demonstrates KUFPEC’s growth and potential as an operator of offshore oil and gas projects,” added Al-Sabah.
“I am especially proud of the professionalism of the KUFPEC team, which included Kuwaiti experts who led operations on the drilling platform,” stated the Acting CEO.
The company said the well was drilled in 288 feet of water using a jack-up rig to reach a total depth of 10,509 feet.
Natuna Sea gas
Located in the Natuna Sea near an existing block in which KUFPEC is a partner, the Anambas Block was awarded to KUFPEC through a competitive bidding process in 2019.
As part of the drilling campaign, KUFPEC conducted two drill stem tests, one in the Lower Gabus formation and the other in the Intra Keras formation.
The company said its tests subsequently resulted in a stabilized combined flow rate of 7 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas and 1,240 standard barrels per day of condensate from the two formations.
KUFPEC said it intended to conduct more tests on other formations within the same well.
The Block is fully operated by KUFPEC, which also holds the entire 100 percent participating interest. KUFPEC’s production sharing contract has a licence term of 30 years, including a six-year exploration period.
KUFPEC is the international upstream company engaged in exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas outside the State of Kuwait and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corp.
Al-Zour LNG
Kuwait in 2021 completed its first onshore LNG import terminal, the Al-Zour facility located about 90 kilometres southeast of Kuwait City and about 16km from Kuwait’s border with Saudi Arabia.
It consists of a regasification facility capable of liquefying 130,000 cubic metres of gas per day and eight LNG storage tanks, with four in the first phase, and each with 225,000 cubic metres of capacity.
Al-Zour is the largest LNG import terminal in the Middle East and was constructed to provide fuel and power to the refining and petrochemicals industries.
Until recently, Kuwait had only imported LNG via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at the dockside of Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi port. The FSRU has been in operation since 2009.
Oil exporter Kuwait is also focusing on ramping up its own natural gas production as part of its economic growth strategy through to 2040.
The use of LNG in the Middle East is forecast to expand by around 50 percent through 2025, with much of the increase coming from Kuwaiti demand.
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