Coastal Energy, an independent exploration and production company, has said that the Benjarong A-02 exploration well in the Gulf of Thailand was drilled to a total depth of 11127ft (3391mt) true vertical depth (TVD). The well encountered 30.5ft (9.3mt) of net pay in the Eocene reservoir with 15% average porosity.

Additionally, a non-conventional zone with oil shows was encountered in the Oligocene limestone. The company plans to test the viability of both the Eocene and the non-conventional play.

The company has run completion casing on the Benjarong A-01 and A-02 wells and will begin completing A-01 this week. Once completion of both wells is completed, the drilling rig will be mobilized to Bua Ban and a mobile offshore production unit (MOPU) will be set at Benjarong to commence flow testing on both wells in the coming weeks.

The spudding of the first Bua Ban well and the commencement of testing at Benjarong are both expected to begin during the third week of May.

Randy Bartley, CEO of Coastal Energy, said: “The Benjarong A-02 well was drilled into the Benjarong East structure, which is a separate structure east of the Benjarong A-01 well.

“Oil shows in both the Lower Oligocene and Eocene formations are indicative of the structure’s potential; however, given the mixed results from log evaluation, commerciality cannot be determined until flow test results are analyzed.”