Project Profile
Location: Eastern Papuan Basin , Papua New Guinea
Area: 4,212 km2
Production: 2,640 to 4,800 BWPD
PPL 340 covers an area of 4,212 km2 onshore and is located within the Eastern Papuan Basin in the Gulf and Central Provinces and extends into the National Capital District. The licence comprises a contiguous area of 43 graticular blocks running from Port Moresby to the northwest. The balance of the licence comprises a single graticular adjacent to PPL 339, 6 graticulars east of Kerema and an isolated pair of graticulars north of the main body of the licence. It is adjacent to the capital Port Moresby, the Exxon led LNG project site and the InterOil Refinery. Access to Port Moresby and proximity to the coast and plant sites may enable economic development of modest sized discoveries in this area. PPL 340 overlies a tightly folded narrow shelf west of the Owen Stanley metamorphic Belt. Offshore seismic shows the shelf to be thrust over Mesozoic and Tertiary section to the south and west of PPL 340.
A fairway of good quality late Cretaceous reservoir is interpreted from outcrop of the Pale Sandstone in PPL 339 to the Barune Sandstone outcrop in Port Moresby. A carbonate reef play is viable with Eocene reefs proximal to PPL 340 as well as within the Early Miocene (Fairfax and Boera Formations) and the Plio/Pleistocene (Wedge Hill Limestone). Offshore PPL 340 Kapuri 1 (1968) tested water at a rate of 2,640 to 4,800 BWPD from the Kapuri Limestone. Other reservoirs within PPL 340 include Middle to Late Miocene deep water clastics of the Chiria, Talama (Iokea 1), and Lavao Formations. Oroi 1 (1949) immediately west of PPL 340 intersected gas shows in the Chiria clastics. Seismic data acquired in 1987, show the Chiria clastics thrust over possible reef anomaly. Gas flows in Tovala-1A, gas shows in Oroi 1 and oil shows within the Oiapu bores and oil recovery of sidewall cores from Iokea 1 support the presence of an active generating petroleum system close to PPL 340.
Previous Exploration
No data has been located for the only well drilled in PPL 340 Rorona 1. Nearby wells and bores are pre 1950 with limited seismic data coverage Published outcrop maps show significant structuring with Miocene to Eocene carbonate development. Exploration focus is on possible reef trend extending from the north of Oroi 1 into PPL 340. This will require new seismic acquisition in an area of relatively easy access. Initial work will comprise an aerogravity and aeromagnetic survey. Subject to the results of the interpretation of these surveys a seismic program will be carried out to help define a reef target for drilling in the calendar year 2014.
Proposed Exploration
Exploration focus will be the anticlinal trend extending from Oroi 1 into PPL 340. This will require new seismic acquisition in an area of easy access. Subject to locating the Tovala and Lakekamu seismic data Kina intends to repocess the seismic out of Tovala 1 to evaluate aforementioned carbonate play in northern PPL 340. Following success of the aerogravity and aeromagnetic data defining structure north of PPL 340 Kina is assessing the merits of a similar survey prior to seismic recording.
Operators:
Kina Petroleum Limited: Operator with 100% interest
Contractors:
InterOil: Drilling contractor, Wahoo-1.