Thailand’s national upstream company PTTEP has spudded its latest wildcat offshore Malaysia, one of its core focus countries.
PTTEP’s Mong Merah-1 exploration well on Block SK 314A off the coast of the state of Sarawak is being drilled by Borr Drilling’s jack-up Gunnlod, which had recently completed work on the operator’s Permas field on Block SK 311. The Mong Merah probe is expected to take until 15 January to complete.
This exploration drilling campaign is being supported by three Malaysia-flagged vessels — Jasa Merin’s large anchor-handling supply vessels JM Setia and JM Sepoi, and Executive Offshore’s platform supply vessel Executive Courage.
PTTEP has identified at least one more prospect — Kecapi — on shallow-water Block SK 314A.
Between 2020 and 2021, the operator evaluated the block’s resource potential and performed 3D seismic reprocessing to prepare for the drilling of exploration wells on the Mong Merah and Kecapi prospects.
Earlier this year, PTTEP conducted geophysical site surveying and a soil boring investigation on its Malaysia offshore acreage ahead of these wildcats.
Blocks SK 314A, SK 438 and SK 405B comprise PTTEP’s Southern Sarawak cluster. Block SK 438 is home to the operator’s Kulintang-1 discovery while Block SK 405B contains its successful Sirung-1 wildcat.
