Thailand’s national upstream company PTTEP is due to imminently spud the Satong-1 wildcat on its prolific Block SK 405B offshore Sarawak, East Malaysia, where success could see the discovery being exploited as part of the operator’s Sirung (southern cluster) project.

The Satong-1 exploration well will be drilled by Noble Drilling’s rig Noble Tom Prosser on an undisclosed dayrate. Drilling operations are expected take one month to complete.

PTTEP is already progressing plans to exploit its Sirung and Chenda oil discoveries on Block SK 450B. Reservoir modelling and production projection studies are ongoing and pre-front engineering and design work is expected to soon commence for the proposed cluster development, which could come on stream in 2027.

The shallow-water SK 405B production sharing contract is located approximately 137 kilometres off the coast of Bintulu, Sarawak, which is home to the Petronas LNG Complex.

PTTEP has a 59.5% operated interest in the offshore block and its partners are Japan’s Moeco (Mitsui) on 25.5% and Malaysia’s national upstream company Petronas Carigali with 15%.

The Noble Tom Prosser recently completed drilling of PTTEP’s Lang Lebah-3 appraisal well, the second appraisal well on the company’s Lang Lebah sour gas field on Block SK 410B, also offshore Sarawak. The Lang Lebah-3 well, which was completed last week, was drilled with tight hole status.

PTTEP had earlier intended to take the final investment decision on Lang Lebah in 2023 but subsequently the company elected to drill a second appraisal well before sanctioning the project, which will include a carbon capture and storage scheme.

The operator last month signed two technical assistance agreements and a memorandum of understanding with Malaysian counterpart Petronas Carigali relating to its SK 405 B and SK 410B PSCs.

The MoU covers the scope of potential evacuation of production from Block SK 405B through Petronas Carigali’s existing D35/D21/J4 PSC facilities, Post 1976 Balingian PSC facilities and the Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal.

The first TAA covers the study and design works to exploit the Block SK 405B fields via the same Petronas Carigali-operated facilities.

Meanwhile, the second TAA is for the assistance of engineering design for the potential construction, tie-in works, pipeline and cable crossings of Block SK 410B for Lang Lebah’s gas evacuation to the Bintulu Additional Gas Supply Facilities 2, as well as for the potential production and handling of Lang Lebah’s condensate at the Bintulu Integrated Facilities.

“This collaboration would enable both parties to drive progress by leveraging on Petronas Carigali’s expertise and technology through continued focus on cost optimisation and operational excellence to ensure supply security, particularly in Sarawak,” Petronas Carigali’s senior general manager of Sarawak asset, Anuar Ismail, commented at the time.

“We look forward to working together with PTTEP towards our common aspiration in growing Malaysia’s energy industry in the long run.”