Salamander Energy, an independent upstream oil and gas exploration and production company, has announced the first production of crude oil from the Bualuang Oil Field in Block B8/38 in the Gulf of Thailand. Salamander has a 60% operated interest in the Bualuang field.
Following successful hook up and commissioning of the Rubicon Vantage floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), production from the field began from well BA-05, said Salamander Energy. After a period of multi-rate testing of this well, the other producers will be brought on-stream sequentially over the coming days.
In total, six development wells have been drilled on the field, five producers and one water injector. Oil will be processed and stored in the Rubicon Vantage FPSO vessel prior to onward sale.
Salamander plans to test the remaining potential within Block B8/38, including the undrilled east flank of the field as well as analogous structures elsewhere in the production license area.
James Menzies, CEO of Salamander Energy, said: As operator of Bualuang, we are pleased to be bringing this new oil field on-stream, the production from which will contribute to Salamander’s volume growth this year and next. We plan further development drilling in 2009 in order to accelerate the exploitation of the main field as well as to test both the east terrace and deeper reservoir potential.