Citarum PSC: Operations Updat

RNS Number : 1332N

Sound Oil PLC

07 June 2010

 



7 June 2010

Sound Oil plc

("Sound Oil" or the "Company")

Citarum PSC: Operations Update

Sound Oil, the upstream oil and gas company with assets in Indonesia, announces that considerable progress has now been made in acquiring the first phase of 867 km of seismic data and to date approximately 700 km data have been recorded in the central and eastern areas of the Citarum block.  The Operator of the Production Sharing Contract ("PSC") has recommended to PSC partners that the current seismic survey should be terminated at the end of this Phase 1 of acquisition rather than continue with an extended programme to total 1,020 km.  This is due to time constraints and the difficulty of acquisition in agricultural and forestry areas.  The Phase 1 programme more than fulfils the firm work commitment of 750 km seismic related to the first period of the PSC.  As the optional 153 km of seismic will now not be acquired, Sound Oil will save a net US$480,000 from the approved budget.

The Phase 1 survey acquisition is expected to be completed in late June /early July 2010 and processing completed by August 2010.  The fully processed results of approximately 400 km of the survey, mostly from the Subang area, have been interpreted and several prospective structures have been recognised in the complexly structured thrust zone.  Prospective structures are also recognised to the north of the previously drilled Pasundan-1 well.  All the recognised prospective targets are in the Parigi and Cibulakan formations which are proven productive reservoirs in the adjacent Jatirarangon and Pasirjadi gas fields.

Planning of the next three exploratory wells will commence mid-year and the operator intends to drill on the Citarum block immediately following its drilling campaign on Sumatra, using the same drilling rig.  On current schedules the first well should be spudded on Citarum in March 2011 and the three well programme should be completed by June 2011.  Each well is expected to be drilled to approximately 2000m in depth and take 25 days.  A number of potential locations have been identified and these will be firmed-up when the remaining seismic results have been evaluated.

Commenting on the progress of the Citarum project Gerry Orbell (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) commented:

"I am pleased to see some positive results emerge from the long seismic campaign.  From what I have seen there is the opportunity to prove a new gas play in the thrust terrain in north Java and our Citarum block is strategically situated to cover large areas of this play trend".

Sound Oil plc is a 20% shareholder (through its wholly owned subsidiary Mitra Energia Citarum Limited) in the Citarum PSC, onshore Java, Indonesia.

Further information on the Company can be found at www.soundoil.co.uk.

Enquiries:

Sound Oil	07903 861145
Gerry Orbell, Chairman
Smith & Williamson Corporate Finance - Nomad	020 7131 4000
Azhic Basirov
David Jones
Evolution Securities - Joint Broker	020 7071 4300
Tim Redfern
Religare Capital Markets - Joint Broker	020 7382 7776
Daniel Briggs
Buchanan Communications	020 7466 5000
Tim Thompson

 

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