The Indonesian Association of Geologists (IAGI) has identified the Madura Strait oil field, also known as the Madura Straits PSC, as still prospective for further exploration.
STJ Budi Santoso, Chairman of IAGI, said that the prospects are still open regarding the oil content within the area, citing that several oil fields have been operating in the region.
“In terms of tectonic setting, this basin belongs to the East Java Basin, which has several proven plays such as Kujung Carbonate and Ngimbang Clastics,” Budi said on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
As most of the gas production in the Madura Basin comes from shallow intervals with biogenic gas play, he suggested that exploration should be attempted in deeper intervals in the Ngrayong Fm, which consists of deep-sea sand deposits. He, however, warned that the drilling risk in these intervals is relatively high.
“The Madura Strait will still require comprehensive and persistent exploration activities to more accurately, specifically, and convincingly identify the presence of these significant potentials,” Budi said.
It has been reported that the Contractor for the Cooperation Contract Husky-CNOOC Madura Limited (HCML) will submit an extension request for the oil and gas concession in the Madura Strait this year.
The current contract, which has been in effect for 20 years since 2012, will expire in October 2032. HCML assesses that the concession, covering an area of 2,012.76 square kilometers, remains prospective until 2042.
“For the exploration potential in the HCML field, there are still potentials that have not been drilled,” HCML’s Vice President for Operations, Perkasa Sinagabariang, said last November.
He cited that the extension request would include plans for further exploration to increase HCML’s reserves after the concession ends in 2032. He explained that when the contract expires, the potential gas resources of the Madura Straits PSC would be only a quarter of the current estimates, at the level of 2 trillion cubic feet (TCF).
HCML’s current peak sales gas production is 250 MMscfd (million standard cubic feet per day) and is the largest in East Java and Central Java.
“Of the three HCML fields, namely the BD field, the 2M field (MDA-MBH), and the MAC field, HCML KKKS is the largest gas producer, with its production percentage reaching 30 percent of the total gas production in the East Java region,” Perkasa said.
HCML currently has three main fields that have been producing, namely the BD Field, the 2M Field, and the MAC Field. BD Field production is supported by three main facilities, namely the Offshore Wellhead Platform (offshore Wellhead Platform/WHP), Gas Metering Station (GMS) located in Pasuruan City, and Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) facilities.
Through HCML’s Long-Term Development Plan (LTP) plan, the Madura Straits are projected to reach peak gas production in 2027, nearly approaching 600 MMscfd. Next, when the contract ends in 2032, production is estimated to reach 500 MMscfd.
Meanwhile, gas production from this Strait is predicted to be at the level of 100 MMscfd by 2042. As previously reported, the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the Madura Strait were initially operated by Husky Oil Madura Limited (HOML).
