Exxon Mobil to Drill 49 New Wells to Boost Production

TEMPO.CO, Surabaya - Before closing 2015, oil and gas company Exxon Mobil Cepu LTD is optimistic that they can reach oil lifting production peak targeted by the government of 165,000 barrels per day. “Our current production is more than 80,000 barrels per day on average,” said Exxon Mobil field public and government affair manager Rexy Mawardijaya on Thursday.

In order to achieve that production peak, Rexy said the company plans to drill new wells so that Exxon Mobil will have 49 production and injection wells. Exxon currently has six production wells in three fields.

Field A has one well, field B has three wells and field C has two wells. “There will be three to four new production wells. The rest are injection wells to maintain pressure,” said Rexy.

In order to save drilling time, Rexy continued, Exxon has rented Pertamina’s BDSI rig which can save drilling time by 500 days faster than a normal rig that takes three months to drill one well. “With ordinary rig, after drilling one well, it has to be dismantled and moved. With Pertamina’s rig, we only have to replace its drill bit.”

Meanwhile, SKK Migas Jabanusa Representative spokesperson Fatah Yasin is optimistic that Exxon Mobil’s production can reach 205 barrels per day because there are early production facilities with Pertamina of 40,000 barrels per day. “30,000 barrels for Exxon, 10,000 barrels for tool owner,” he said.

According to Fatah, the peak production of 205,000 barrels can at least be achieved in December 2015 as contract with Pertamina ends. “If the contract is not extended, Exxo’s peak production still stays at 165,000 barrels per day.”

MUSTHOFA BISRI