Eni said April 26 it has started gas production from the Merakes Project offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Located in the East Sepinggan Block of the Makassar Strait in the Kutei Basin, the deepwater field consists of five subsea wells with a production capacity of 450 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/d), Eni said in a news release. The wells are connected to the Jangkrik floating production unit. Water depth in the area is about 1,500 m.

“We are really proud of the start-up of Merakes, a project which is synergetic with existing operated facilities and is the result of the fruitful collaboration with our partners and with the Indonesian authorities,” Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said in the release. “Merakes is one of Eni key projects in 2021. It will support the growth of gas production, in line with Eni strategic goals.”

Eni said Merakes gas will be partially sold to the domestic market and will contribute to the extension of the life of the Bontang LNG facility.

With an 65% share ownership through its affiliate, Eni East Sepinggan Ltd, Eni is operator of the block where the project is located. Its partners are Neptune Energy East Sepinggan B.V., 20%; and PT Pertamina Hulu Energi, 15%.

Offshore