Unocal, Mobil Make Big Find in Indonesia

Unocal Corp. said its Indonesian subsidiary and Mobil Makassar Inc. discovered a well with “significant” natural gas and oil production potential in the Mahakam Delta near Indonesia. Unocal said it successfully tested the Merah Besar No. 6 well, drilled in 2,284 feet of water, and it produced 24.8 million cubic feet of natural gas and 860 barrels of condensate a day from one zone, while two other zones together produced 980 barrels of oil a day. Unocal will share a 50% interest with Mobil Makassar in the project, which is adjacent to Unocal’s existing ocean sites offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The latest discovery follows the drilling of six other ocean wells with commercial potential offshore East Kalimantan, Unocal said. The El Segundo-based company owns 100% of the working interest in those projects. Unocal and Mobil Makassar plan to examine seismic data and further drilling to determine the potential of the discoveries.