28 Nov 2018 09:32 GMT9 Mar 2019 13:53
Empyrean eyeing China farmout
UK company looking for partners at the offshore project, where drilling could kick off next year
Anamaria Deduleasa
28 Nov 2018 09:32 GMT
UK-listed company Empyrean Energy is eyeing a farmout at its block in the Pearl River Mouth basin, offshore China, where it aims to start drilling by the end of next year or early 2020.
Empyrean holds a 100% interest in Block 29/11, where the Jade, Topaz and Pearl prospects have been identified.
The block covers around 1808 square kilometres and lies in water depths ranging from 300 to 600 metres.
Believed to hold around 884 million barrels of oil in-place on an un-risked basis, it lies between producing fields with infrastructure in place, operated by Chinese state-owned giant CNOOC Ltd.
Nearby, Italy’s Eni, US supermajor Chevron and Canada’s Husky Energy also hold blocks, which are under development.
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“Empyrean is actively thinking about funding the exploration well commitment. Strategy includes creating a joint venture for the project by farming out equity, sale of existing assets or capital raising. Given the fact that Empyrean has two and half years – starting on 13 December 2018- to drill the well, each of these three options will be actively worked on,” Gaz Bisht, executive director told Upstream.
“We aim to start talks with companies with projects near ours and beyond,” Bisht said.
Empyrean has already signed a production sharing contract with CNOOC Ltd covering the block. For now, Empyrean will act as operator during the exploration period of the PSC and will incur all exploration costs.
CNOOC Ltd will then have the right to participate in any commercial discoveries, up to an interest of 51%, once the PSC enters the development phase.
After having recently gathered 3D seismic over the block, Empyrean will spend next year working to obtain all the necessary well planning permitting, as it aims to spud a well in the fourth quarter of next year or in the first quarter of 2020, Bisht said.
“Commencing in the first quarter of 2019, Empyrean will focus on building operational capabilities in China in preparation for drilling the well. It will include setting up a small office, staffing it will appropriate skillsets and selecting appropriate rig,” he said.
Bisht did not reveal what percentage the company is looking to farm-out, but he said the goal is to bring in a partner to share “costs and future value”.
Meanwhile, Empyrean, also present offshore Indonesia, is also looking to drill at the Conrad Petroleum-operated Mako gas field scheme.
Empyrean farmed-into Mako with a 10% interest. The joint ventures partners are hopeful their submitted development plan will be approved by the end of the year, which would pave the way for a final investment decision.
The preliminary resource estimate at Mako is 373 billion cubic feet of best estimate contingent resources.
Bisht said, once the