South East Asia exploration - where are the big fields hiding?

Are the big SE Asia fields in deepwater (eg Pearl River Mouth) - or remote areas like West Papua? 0

Tuesday, February 21, 2012, London, The Geological Society

China claims “indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and adjacent waters” based on centuries’ old rights that allow its maritime border to reach almost to Borneo; these claims bring it into dispute with Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.

This renewed interest is based on China’s need for resources and its assessment that there may be 200 billion barrels of oil, as well as 2,000 Tcf of gas, under the South China Sea. Does the history, and recent experience, of exploration in this region – and in South East Asia more generally - indicate that such huge resources may remain undiscovered and if Yes, where might they be?

Reflecting on the raw data of South East Asian exploration success rates, discovery sizes and finding costs, both Wood Mackenzie# and IHS# assert that:

Thus, this broad brush summary would suggest that much of SE Asia is Mature for exploration. However, SE Asia is large with a complex geological history and complex politics and Longley# has pointed out that recent and planned activity gives plenty of encouragement at the play level:

Where are the “Giants” lying in wait? The hopes for “Giant” fields would either be Deep Water – as exemplified by the Deepwater Pearl River Mouth and some of Indonesia - or more remote areas – as exemplified by West Papua, in both cases where new play ideas and new technology may be deployed.

Equally, it must be said that some areas, such as the Makassar Straits, have proved disappointing and that the technical approach# to some of the onshore areas - such as onshore Borneo; northern Thailand - seems to be bereft of any modern technologies, for example gravity gradiometry or wireless (3D) seismic.

Our February Forum, organised in conjunction with SEAPEX (South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society), will examine where big fields and major resoruces remain to be discovered.

# as presented at the SEAPEX Conference, Singapore, April 2011. For further information, follow this link.

Agenda

9:30

David Bamford - - New Eyes Exploration

Welcome & Introduction


David Bamford is well known around the oil & gas industry both as an explorer and a geophysicist. He holds a Physics degree from the University of Bristol and a Ph.D in Geological Sciences from the University of Birmingham.

Since 2004, he has been a non-executive director at Tullow Oil plc, being recruited for this position especially for his exploration knowledge. He serves on the Nominations and Remuneration Committees, and was chairman of the latter, and Senior Independent Director, for 3 years prior to his retire from the board at the end of April 2014.

He was on the board of Premier Oil from May 2014 to May 2016.

He retired from BP plc in 2003, his last four positions being Chief Geophysicist (1990-1995), Business Unit Leader (General Manager) for first West Africa and then Norway (1995-1999), and finally Head of Exploration until 2003.

He has served on the boards of Paras Ltd, a small exploration and IS/IT consulting company in which he held 22% equity, until its sale to RPS Energy in 2008 and Welltec a/s, a Danish well engineering company, as the nominee of the private equity investor Riverside.
From 2012 to 201 he was on the board of ASX-quoted Australia Oriental Energy as a non-executive director.

He was a founder of Richmond Energy Partners, a small oil & gas research house, and several media companies that focus on the oil & gas sector, and has served as an advisor to Alliance Bernstein, Opus Executive, the Parkmead Group plc, and Kimmeridge Energy LLP. Since retiring from BP, he has undertaken asset and company valuation projects for investment banks, hedge funds and small oil companies.

New Eyes Exploration
New Eyes Exploration, founded by David Bamford, explores new ways to discover Oil and Gas.
9:40

Ben Cahill - Research & Advisory Manager - Energy Intelligence

Geo-politics of the South China Sea region


Manager in the Research & Advisory practice at Energy Intelligence Group, focusing on above-ground country risk for upstream investors.

Specialties - Country risk; politics and oil sector developments in Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and the Gulf states

Energy Intelligence
Energy Intelligence has been a leading independent provider of objective insight, unbiased analysis and reliable data for 60 years. With offices in New York, London, Houston, Dubai, Moscow, Washington, Singapore and Brussels, we provide decision-makers with critically important information on issues and events affecting the global energy complex.
10:15

Andrew Lodge - Principal - StrategicFit

Where are the big fields hiding? A Premier perspective!


Andrew is now a Principal at StrategicFit and a Non-Executive Director at Egdon Resources.

Previously, he joined Premier Oil plc’s Board as Exploration Director in April 2009 from Hess where he was Vice President, Exploration, responsible for Europe, North Africa, Asia and Australia for nine years. Prior to that, he was Vice President, Exploration, Asset Manager and Group Exploration Advisor for BHP Petroleum, based in London and Australia. Prior to joining BHP Petroleum, Andrew worked for BP as a geophysicist. He has an honours degree in Mining Geology from the University of Wales and a Masters in Applied Geophysics from the University of Leeds. He is a fellow of the Geological Society.

He retired from Premier Oil in June 2015.

StrategicFit
StrategicFit is a strategy consulting firm specialising in the upstream oil and gas industry.

We help companies, licence partnerships and stakeholders make difficult decisions they can be confident in.

Through decision analysis, a collaborative strategy process and sector expertise, we'll give you
a clearer way forward.
10:50 Coffee & Tea

10:50

Chris Atkinson - London chapter co-ordinator - South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX)

Introduction to SEAPEX


South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX)
SEAPEX, or the South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society is a non-profit organization that was established in 1973. A voluntary organization SEAPEX has developed itself to have over 1,600 active members worldwide.
11:15

Jamie Higton - - Landmark Exploration Insights

Integrating eustasy and tectonics in SE Asia and why it matters

Talk Description.
An in-depth study of much of the published geological data for the South-East Asia region has been carried out by Neftex over the past five years. This has involved the calibration of the regional stratigraphy to a proprietary global sequence stratigraphic model by using the available biostratigraphic data. Mega-Regional stratigraphic correlations from basin to basin make it possible to evaluate petroleum systems elements both in terms of their relationship to global sequence systems tracts as well as their relevance to regional or local tectonic events. The global eustatic signal is affected by the interaction of tectonics and will thus be enhanced or dampened locally. Distinguishing which tectonic events are localised or more widespread is not only useful in aiding speculation on their causal mechanisms but also has significant importance in determining the deposition and distribution of potential source rock and reservoir units in underexplored basins.
Landmark Exploration Insights
Landmark Exploration Insights (formerly Neftex), is a product family within Landmark, a business line of Halliburton. We specialise in the collation, integrations and interpretation of large geoscience dataset and the delivery of these as subsurface models. We are recognised as industry leaders in the provision of web-based sequence stratigraphic products and their global application. Our integrated global geological database - the Neftex Earth Model delivers data, knowledge and insight to help our clients better understand geological risk in their exploration and investment activities.
11:50

Alan Williams - Oil & Gas Manager - Fugro NPA Ltd

Seeps and giant fields in SE Asia ; can offshore satellite seep detection replicate the success of the onshore seepage pioneers?

Talk Description.
Onshore oil and gas seeps are well known across SE Asia and drew the early explorers to the region as far back as 1865, with the first commercial success coming soon after in 1885 in N.E. Sumatra and the formation of the Royal Dutch Company in 1880. The rest is history.

Offshore seepage detection using multiple pass, satellite SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is now established as a viable exploration technology for screening offshore basins for active oil seeps, especially in remote or deep water basins. However, the technique is not universally effective and best results require both optimal acquisition conditions (specifically wind speed) and a leaky basin system. Such seepage enhancement factors can be basin overpressure, recent or present day generation from rich oil -prone source rocks, active tectonics and high GOR oils. In parts of S.E. Asia, many of these key controls on trap leakage exist, particularly in tectonically active basins with shallow cutting faults to surface. However, some geochemical factors such as the waxy (low GOR) nature of lacustrine oils from the Palaeogene syn-rift mega-sequences may mitigate against seep formation in contrast to leakage from the Miocene post-rift mega-sequences.

The issue of heavy ship pollution in some parts of SE Asia plus the link between enhanced seepage and earthquake activity will also be explored.
Graduated back in the Jurassic era in Geology from Swansea and in Geochemistry from Leeds.

Over 40 years experience, 30 of them in the oil and gas industry.

Joined BP in 1979, initially to run the Geochemistry Review Group and latterly as the lead interpreter for BP’s high profile ALF Project. This culminated in him running a highly successful integrated seep detection project in the Gulf of Mexico – the Glass Clock Project – immediately after which he was made redundant in the Lord Bowne purge of 1992.

Since then has transitioned to the dark side as a contractor and has worked with a number of service companies including World Geoscience, NRSC (now Infoterra) and, saving the best for last, NPA (Nigel Press Associates) who were painlessly subsumed into the Fugro mother ship in April 2008.

Fugro NPA Ltd
Fugro NPA is the world leader in satellite interpretation for the oil and gas industry. Their services include GOSD, the Global Offshore Seep Database. An ArcGIS database containing over 11,000 interpreted SAR images. Onshore geological interpretation projects; combining imagery, DEMs, fracture analysis and 3D modelling. INSAR; ground subsidence studies of mature fields and monitoring of CCS sites.

12:25

Kjell Johansen - - PGS

Phu Khanh Basin, one of the last frontier areas in SE Asia

Talk Description.
Phu Khanh Basin, offshore Vietnam; One of the Last Exploration Frontier in SE Asia

Kjell Bugge Johansen* , Andrew Botsford* and Suvimol Maingarm**

PGS, in cooperation with PetroVietnam, has acquired approximately 14,540 km of modern long offset MC2D seismic data in the Phu Khanh Basin (PKB), located in the south-western part of the South China Sea . In addition, a further 2,688 km was acquired to the southeast mostly over and close to the present South China Sea spreading center.

The area is structurally complex, with several different structural trends. Seismic data, supported by gravity and magnetic data clearly demonstrates that the one of main structural trend over the north-eastern part of area has a NNE-SSW orientation. The coastal area is dominated by a N-S trend, referred to as the East Vietnam Fault Zone (EVFZ), which is the southern extension of the Red River Fault Zone.

The area has two main tectono-stratigraphic units, defining separate phases of rifting followed by compression. The first unit comprises an initial rift phase of Paleogene (?Late Eocene-Oligocene) age which has up to 2-3 km of sediment fill, believed to comprised mainly of continental-lacustrine clastics, indicated by their seismic character. The sediment along EVFZ has undergone a significant phase of inversion/compression, probably in the Late Oligocene, related to transpressional wrench movement along the EVFZ. This movement has also created one of the main trap types in PKB The second tectono-stratigraphic unit results from a basin wide rift phase in the Early-Mid Miocene, which was followed by a second phase of compression and basin inversion in the Mid-Late Miocene. The Late Miocene – Pliocene time was dominated by a sag phase with deposition of up to 3s TWT of sediment in the deepest part of the PKB, and deposition of extensive slope and basin floor fans.

The seismic data demonstrates the presence of a large number of structural leads defined by Paleogene rotated fault blocks and horsts, where some have been modified by later compression in Late Oligocene and Mid Miocene creating structural traps and e combined structural/stratigraphic leads. Some of these leads have the potential to be very large. The reservoirs for the Paleogene plays consist of continental, fluvial sandstone reservoirs hosted in the syn-rift section. Middle-Early Miocene reservoirs are most likely shallow marine-deltaic clastics. In addition, reefs and platform type carbonates are believed to be developed on some of the structural highs. The area also has very extensive sequences of stacked slope and basin floor turbidites in the central and northern part of the area, which may represent an excellent play.

The presence of gas chimneys and oil seeps along the coastal areas, plus oil in wells (such as 124-CMT-01X along the margin of the PKB and Tri Ton Horst), and the recent large gas discovery in block 118 indicates that the area has a working petroleum system. It is believed that non-marine to marginal marine or lacustrine mudstones and coals/coaly mudstones confined to the Paleogene syn-rift basins represent the main source rocks in this area. These are up to 3 km thick in parts of the PKB. The seismic character in some of the rift basins also supports the presence of a non-marine depositional environment. Early Miocene coaly mudstones may also represent a potential source, where it is buried deep enough to be thermally mature.

The PKB is non-explored and represents one of the last frontier areas along the Vietnam East Sea margin. It may have significant commercial hydrocarbon potential, due to the presence of a working petroleum system and numerous leads. The main risks are the presence of valid reservoir rocks, quality and level of maturation of source rocks, and risk of high CO2

* Petroleum Geo-Services, Singapore
**Petroleum Geo-Services, Houston

PGS
PGS is a leading, international, marine geophysical company. Our business is technology driven and we provide a range of products and services including MultiClient data, as well as tailored acquisition, and imaging.

Our large, modern data library comprises ~850 000 sq. km 3D and ~670 000 km of 2D seismic data that targets areas of high prospectivity, where oil companies have potential to access acreage. Around 44% of the 3D data in our library and 60% of the 2D data have been acquired with multisensor GeoStreamer® technology. That proportion is growing.

PGS is the industry's most experienced provider of multisensor broadband data.

Worldwide, PGS operates three larger sales and imaging hubs in Europe and North America, and has local offices in 13 countries. The PGS headquarters is in Oslo, Norway and the PGS share is listed on the Oslo stock exchange (OSE: PGS).

PGS activities are organized into three business areas.
.Sales & Imaging promotes and sells seismic services including tailored acquisition contracts, MultiClient library data, and imaging services .New Ventures designs and markets new MultiClient campaigns and manages strategic projects .Operations & Technology plans, manages and executes all our acquisition projects, and develops new technology solutions
13:00 Raffle prize, then lunch & refreshments (event close 2pm)

Sponsors of this event

Energy Intelligence
Energy Intelligence has been a leading independent provider of objective insight, unbiased analysis and reliable data for 60 years. With offices in New York, London, Houston, Dubai, Moscow, Washington, Singapore and Brussels, we provide decision-makers with critically important information on issues and events affecting the global energy complex.

Cambridge Carbonates
Cambridge Carbonates Ltd. is a geological consultancy that provides expertise in carbonate and evaporite systems to the oil and gas industry. As well as offering a range of non-proprietary reports for purchase, Cambridge Carbonates deliver bespoke expertise to clients in regional studies, play evaluations and reservoir characterisation projects.

South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX)
SEAPEX, or the South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society is a non-profit organization that was established in 1973. A voluntary organization SEAPEX has developed itself to have over 1,600 active members worldwide.

Registered Delegates

Tony Grindrod
Trustee
AAPG Europe
United States
Kate Benny
Geologist
GETECH
Kjell Johansen
Regional President, MultiClient
Petroleum Geo-Services Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
Paul Murphy
Key Account Manager, Oil and Gas Division
Airbus Defence and Space
United Kingdom
Kerri Wilson
Senior Petroleum Geologist
Getech
United Kingdom
Alastair Graham
Director Upstream
PetroSaudi International
United Kingdom
Anil Katyal

AK Associates
United Kingdom
Alexander Chalke
Partner
Grosvenor Clive & Stokes
United Kingdom
Iain Brown

PGS
United Kingdom
Ken Rutherford

Apache
Mike Simmons
Technology Fellow (Geosciences)
Halliburton/Neftex
United Kingdom
Valerie Clure
Director
Phoenix Hydrocarbon Europe Ltd
United Kingdom
David Jackson
Vice President of Geological Services
ARKeX
United Kingdom
Ruth Manson

Hess
John Clure
Managing Director
Phoenix Hydrocarbon Resources Ltd
United Kingdom
Richard Foster-Turner
General Manager
ARKeX Limited
Tim Gibbons
Managing Director
Hoolock Consulting
United Kingdom
Graham Woodcock
Senior Key Account Manager
Pole Star Space Applications ltd
Brian Sowerby
IT Architect
BG
United Kingdom
Mark Diaz
Director
IHS Markit
United Kingdom
RICK MOORE
DIRECTOR
QUAD OPERATIONS
United Kingdom
Biswabarenya Mohanty
Consultant Geologist (Global New Ventures)
BG Group
Peter Dolan
Founding Non-Executive Director
Ikon Science Limited
United Kingdom
Nigel Quinton
Consultant
QX Energy Limited
United Kingdom
David Sendra
Associate Consultant
BlackRockQI
United Kingdom
Jams Rustambekov
Lawyer
Ince & Co LLP
Josh King
Analyst
RAB Capital
United Kingdom
Michael McCullough
Senior Geophysical consultant
Blue Diamond Exploration Ltd
United Kingdom
Jack Pegram
Conference Producer
Informa Energy
United Kingdom
Caroline Macmillan
Marketing Manager
Reed Exhibitions
Ken Gardiner
Business Development
Business Development Consultant
United Kingdom
Max Tattersall
Commercial Manager
Informa Energy
United Kingdom
Nick Bright

Retired
United Kingdom
Joanna Garland
Director
Cambridge Carbonates Ltd
United Kingdom
Alexander Baki
Business Manager
ITC Global
United Kingdom
Roger Doery
Retired
Retired
United Kingdom
Emily Ashford
Director - Oil & Gas Research
Cantor Fitzgerald
United Kingdom
Leonard Baumann

ITE
Steven McTiernan

Retired
United Kingdom
Chris Atkinson

CaribX
Florian Buetow

ITE Group
Robert Snashall
Consultant
RGSConsult
United Kingdom
Pard Bharaj
Managing Consultant
Carlton Resource Solutions
United Kingdom
Natalia Shadricheva

ITE Group plc
Felicite Robertson

Robertson & Co - Translation & Interpreting
Terry Paul
Owner Director
Castries Associates
Michael Jacobs
Head of Oil & Gas
ITE Group Plc
United Kingdom
Norrie Stanley
Consultant
RPS Energy
United Kingdom
Andrew Webb
Manager, Petroleum Reservoir and Economics
CGG
United Kingdom
Julian Kreutzmann

ITE London Group
Linda Sutherland
Consultant
Sandown Energy Consultants Limited
United Kingdom
Marcus Sanderson
Offshore Geologist
CGG Robertson NPA Satellite Mapping
United Kingdom
Rajeev Madhavan
Oil & Gas Analyst
Lambert Energy Advisory Ltd
United Kingdom
David Webber
Seismic Operations Consultant
Seismic Operations Consultant
United Kingdom
Davies Okere
Geoscientist
CGGVeritas
United Kingdom
Matt Luheshi

leptis E & P Ltd
United Kingdom
Nicola Plenderleith
Business Manager
Solutions Driven
Lesley Cripps
Sales Manager
Chapman Freeborn AirChartering Ltd
Andrew Hayman

Lynx Information Systems
United Kingdom
John Argent
VP Geoscience
Sound Energy Plc
United Kingdom
Christopher Roberts
Principal
consultant
United Kingdom
Christian Coulter
Managing Director
Macquarie Bank Ltd.
United Kingdom
Glyn Roberts
Director
Spec Partners Ltd
United Kingdom
Rick Donoghue
Director
Crescus
United Kingdom
Robin French
Senior Advisor
Mitsubishi Corporation
United Kingdom
Chris Stevens
Business Development Manager
Spectrum
United Kingdom
Graham Sadler
Managing Director, Petroleum Services
Deloitte LLP
Shreyas Bordia
Executive Director
Morgan Stanley
Anna Dawson
Senior geophysicist
Statoil
United Kingdom
Jean Martinie
Representative
DGI
France
al njoo

nations petroleum
Andrew Lodge
Principal
Strategic Fit, Egdon Resources
karl jeffery
Editor
Digital Energy Journal
United Kingdom
Jamie Higton

Neftex
Wak Kani

SUPEX
United Kingdom
EMIL JANSON
Regional Marketing and Sales Mgr
DOLPHIN GEOPHYSICAL
United Kingdom
Edward Collins
Geoscientist
Neftex Petroleum Consultants
Frank Jackson
MD
Sustainable Energy Projects
United Kingdom
Toyin Solanke
Consultant
Eknalos GeoTek
United Kingdom
Keith Nunn
Managing Director
Nunngeo Consulting Ltd
United Kingdom
Craig Bennett
VP Corporate Development
The Oil Council
Ben Cahill
Manager
Energy Intelligence
Ian Blakeley
Business Development Manager
NVentures
United Kingdom
Alastair Bee

Westwood Global Energy
United Kingdom
Dale Steinkuehler
President
Ensaga Energy Group LLC
United States
Martine Davis
Business Development Manager
NVentures
United Kingdom
Sophia Yang
Account Executive
Willis
United Kingdom
Adam Marmaras
Event Organiser
Finding Petroleum
United Kingdom
Amit Sharma
Principle Consultant
Opus Sterling
Nicholas Smith

Willis
John Finder
Sales Manager
Finding Petroleum / Digital Energy Journal
United Kingdom
Stuart MacCormack
Senior Consultant
OTM Consulting Ltd
United Kingdom
Doug Woodworth
Broker
Willis
Alan Williams
Oil & Gas Manager
Fugro NPA
Ronald Indra
Consultant
OTM Consulting Ltd.
United Kingdom
Chun Lee
Account Handler
Willis Limited
Alex De Jonghe
Marketing Geologist
Fugro Robertson
Susan Fox
General Manager and Global Marketing Director
Palantir Solutions
United Kingdom
Delete x
x
x
United Kingdom
Esther Dowling
Consultant
Fulcrum Diligence LTd
United Kingdom
Nilesh Pansare
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER EMEA
PALANTIR SOLUTIONS
United Kingdom
Mark Mua
Business Development Manager
Xait
United Kingdom
Richard Hardman
Director, Technical Adviser
FX Energy
Robert Parker
Consultant
Parker
United Kingdom
Syed M.H. Abedi
Managing Director
Zawiyah Assicates Ltd
Martin Hodge
Business Development & Project Geophysicist
Geokinetics
United Kingdom