Department of Fuel Confirm gas resource management Replace the Erawan that was not as planned Keep electricity costs low Ready to coordinate with all parties to accelerate the development of the Thai-Cambodian joint development area. according to government policy Expected to take at least 10 years.
Mr. Supalak Phalanurak, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Mineral Fuels, said that the department has coordinated with all parties. To accelerate production capacity to replace the Erawan field or G1/61, which was originally expected to increase to 600 million cubic feet per day on December 1, 2023. From now on, production is 400 million cubic feet per day. But most recently, the production operator, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), was unable to proceed. This is because the crane of the K1 ship used to install the wellhead platform in the exploration block was cracked and damaged. Must change to a new boat This causes production to be delayed for at least 2 months, but the company is confident that it will increase production capacity to meet the production sharing system contract of 800 million cubic feet per day by April 1, 2024.
Therefore, the Department has hastened to coordinate with all sectors to solve the problem. PTTEP has continuously increased production capacity in the G2/61 or Bongkot field by another 130 million cubic feet per day. from a production contract of 700 million cubic feet per day There is no dimming or reduction of solar power generation. by producing an additional 60 million cubic feet per day. There is coordination of the Yadana field from Myanmar, asking for cooperation to maintain production capacity at 350 million cubic feet per day for as long as possible, and coordinating with Malaysia to request gas from the JDA Joint Development Area to be used in Thailand in the case of Malaysia. There is no need to use Overall at this time, gas resources are managed through pipelines in place of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), which will help reduce the burden on electricity costs.
As for the government’s acceleration in negotiating the Thai-Cambodian overlapping area, the department is ready to join in coordinating the process. together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs There must be legislation enacted to take action. Overall, if gas is to be produced It will take at least 10 years to come up. If it does, it will be a good thing for both countries. Both create added value from petroleum sources and use gas to produce electricity. Reduce people’s living expenses Currently, the amount of gas in the Gulf of Thailand is decreasing. From the past, Thailand produced 70 percent, now only 50 percent remains. Requesting demand for use must depend on LNG imports. or liquefied natural gas with a higher price Making electricity costs in Thailand more expensive
“All parties work together to solve the Erawan field problem as much as possible. To try not to affect the electricity bill. The Erawan field will need to expedite the installation of 4 more well platforms, from the 8 already installed. Currently, 218 production wells have been drilled and 6 rigs have been completed. If everything does not cause problems, No matter how strong the waves are The ship can be installed as expected, there will be a 2-month delay, but if it doesn’t meet expectations, it will be able to produce as promised, 800 million cubic feet per day, by April 1, 2024. But if it doesn’t happen again, it will break the contract. There will be an adjustment to PTTEP,” Mr. Supalak said.
As for the Sapphire field, the contract is close to expiring. At this time, the Department is trying to talk with Chevron. that is operated So that the transition period does not have the same problems as the Erawan field. – Thai News Agency
Source: Thai News Agency