Publications

Kondur Petroleum SA, of Indonesia, operates a large block in the Malacca Strait region, under contract to Pertamina, the Indonesian National Petroleum Company. The block comprises some 11,885 square kilometers both on and offshore, in the Riau province about 800 kilometers northwest of Jakarta. Since 1972 almost 16,000 kilometers of conventional 2D seismic data has been acquired in the region and 80 exploration and appraisal wells have been drilled. These activities have resulted in the discovery of five oil fields and one gas field representing about 2% of known oil reserves in the Central Sumatra Basin.The exploration of traditional reserves is in a maturing phase, all large structures close to proven hydrocarbon kitchens appear to have been tested. Future exploration will involve investigation of increasingly subtle and low relief traps in areas surrounding known reserves, and the development of alternative source plays in regions which have been previously considered non-prospective. The 3D seismic program in Malacca Strait, in particular, had two objectives: as a tool to accelerate the exploration phase of non-traditional reservoirs, and to maximize the recovery from reservoirs currently in the mature stage while providing a better estimate of those reserves remaining.The objectives demanded seamless 3D seismic data acquisition from a transition zone, which included water at depths of 50 meters and 5 to 7 knot currents, to a land/peat environment. At the same time, Kondur was well aware that the value of the 3D project, in terms of dollars spent per barrel of oil discovered, would not materialize if desired reserve levels could not be established or if quality and cost objectives for the 3D survey were not met. It was critical that the assigned contractor be able to deliver the technology necessary to produce a quality data product at an economic price.