Shell to drill off Sarawak

Gandarusa well first of at least three probes off East Malaysia

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Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell is closing in on the start of an exploration drilling campaign targeting carbonate plays on Block SK 318 off Sarawak, East Malaysia, where gas discoveries could be exploited jointly with existing finds, writes Amanda Battersby.

First up will be the Gandarusa-1 probe, which is set to be spudded in early May.

Shell will be using Transocean's semi-submersible Deepwater Nautilus for the programme, expected to comprise at least three wells, under a contract through to January 2020.

Deepwater Nautilus was due to leave from its anchorage at Labuan on or around 1 May for the Gandarusa wildcat, which is expected to take about two months to drill.

Last November, Shell carried out a site survey and seabed clearance using the survey vessel Fugro Equinox on potential drilling sites at Gandarusa, Gajus, Bolai & Bawang and Jerangau on the deep-water block.

Pressurised mud cap drilling (PMCD) is set to be employed during the exploration campaign. Shell last year planned for PMCD on its Rerama-1 carbonate exploration well on the nearby Block SK 319.

Malaysia’s national oil company Petronas has already utilised PMCD, a variant of managed pressure drilling, off Sarawak.

Block SK 318 is home to the deep-water Rosmari, Marjoram and Timi gas discoveries. Shell and its partner, Malaysia’s national upstream company Petronas Carigali, are already evaluating development options for the deep-water Rosmari and Marjoram finds.

Initial combined reserves at the two sour gas fields, which sit in respective water depths of 450 and 800 metres, have been pegged at more than 200 million barrels of oil equivalent.