Thailand’s national upstream company PTTEP is ramping up exploration on Block SK 405B offshore Sarawak, East Malaysia, which hosts the operator’s Sirung oil and gas discovery that is under appraisal as part of a proposed cluster development.

TTEP has brought in another rig – Velesto Energy’s jack-up Naga 3 – to the block to imminently spud the Chenda-1 wildcat offshore the northwest coast of Borneo. The Chenda-1 exploration well is expected to take six weeks to complete. This latest probe on Block SK 405B is being supported by three Malaysia-flagged vessels: the large anchor-handling tug supply vessel JM Ehsan, and the very large AHTS vessels Sealink 178 and Sealink 179.

In tandem, PTTEP has chartered another Sealink vessel — the small AHTS vessel Cassandra VI — to perform a geophysical survey over the location of its planned Satong-1 exploration well, also on Block SK 405B.

Shallow-water Block SK 405B is located approximately 137 kilometres offshore Bintulu, which is home to the Petronas LNG Complex. PTTEP operates the acreage with a 59.5% participating interest and its co-venturers are Japan’s Moeco (Mitsui) on 25.5% and Malaysia’s national upstream company Petronas Carigali with a 15% stake.