Prime Minister to 'flow, flare' gas at Antelope 1

InterOil’s gas find believed biggest natural gas deposit

 

By SHEILA LASIBORI

 

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare will today “flow and flare” the well at InterOil’s Antelope One gas discovery site in Gulf province, according to The National newspaper.

According to InterOil Corp, the discovery was considered – on the basis of independent expert analysis – “to be the biggest natural gas find of the century anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere or the Asia-Pacific (at least for the last 20 years)”.

The site is located in the vicinity of the Purari River.

Sir Michael will be accompanied by his deputy Dr Puka Temu, who is Minister for Land and Mining, including delegates.

The Antelope One well has hydrocarbons in the Antelope reef. The top of the reservoir had intersected at 1,796m with gas encountered at the same depth.

The company had advised last month that drilling was continuing at 1,964m with an unbalanced mud system with gas production averaging two to three million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) whilst drilling with full returns and about 3,400psi of back pressure on the formation with rates up to 15MMcfd had been achieved while circulating out gas kicks.

It said mud loggers report showed a fine-grained limestone facies inter-bedded with and grading to a coarser grain more porous dolomitise facies.

The dolomitise facies displays good to very good visible matrix and porosity.

The porosity was a mixture of primary and well-developed secondary porosity with evidence of chalkification and dolomitisation.

The lower interval associated with a significant gas kick has an increase in dolomite which averaged almost 80%.

A media team led by InterOil’s senior manager for media relations Susuve Laumaea will join the party at the site.

The programme will see villagers at the Wabo base camp host a traditional welcome ceremony for Sir Michael and the delegation.