Salamander Energy provides an update on drilling at the West Kerendan and Sungai Lahei prospects on its Bangkanai PSC, onshore Kalimantan, Indonesia. Salamander holds a 70% operated interest in the Bangkanai PSC.
To date, the well has penetrated the primary target Upper Berai formation carbonates and it is planned to drill ahead to the deeper secondary targets. All drilling, logging and other geological data collected to date points to the primary target being gas-bearing, with potential for a significant column of mobile gas at the WK-1 location.
Primary Target: Upper Berai Carbonates
The well encountered the top of the Upper Berai carbonate formation at 2,514 m true vertical depth sub-sea ("TVDSS"), some 110 m high to prognosis. These carbonates at the WK-1 location are well developed with little mud content. Elevated background gas readings and gas peaks associated with high resistivity readings have been seen across the section, a signature that is consistent with the producing wells in the Kerendan gas field.
A 37 m core was cut and fully recovered from the primary reservoir at a depth of 2,650 m. The core exhibits intra-particle porosity in its basal section which is associated with gas influx to the drilling mud.
Drilling gas levels have markedly reduced below 2,890 m TVDSS, implying a base to the gas zone at a depth which is consistent with the gas-water contact in the producer wells in the Kerendan field, located some 10 km to the east. This would imply a potential 340 m mobile gas column at the WK-1 location.
Secondary Targets
The well encountered gas in the overlying secondary target Miocene sandstones. Wire-line logs, pressure & gas sampling was carried out across two gas-bearing sandstones between 1,400 and 1,490 m TVDSS. The top of the Lower Berai carbonates, which form an additional secondary target, was encountered at 2,915 m TVDSS, some 53 m high to prognosis. This formation exhibits signs of permeability, with mud losses experienced at current TD, corresponding with gas ingress into the wellbore from the Upper Berai formation.
