Abstract

With the high cost of oil exploration in remote jungle regions, the Petroleum Industry has been forced to look for new and more cost effective methods for operating in these areas. This paper details Conoco's success in construction and logistic support activities during their 1985 – 1986 twelve well slimhole drilling program in the Kepala Burung Selatan Block "A" (KBS "A") Contract Area, located in Irian Jaya, Indonesia.

The KBS "A" areas is approximately 95% swamp, covered by a several meter thick layer of peat. A base camp was constructed on a centrally located area of high ground on a major waterway. Rig site construction started with heli-lifting all equipment, materials and personnel to each location. Depending upon the thickness of the peat layer and the availability of hardwood trees, the rig platforms were either steel piled structures or of corduroy design.

During the drilling program the rig was flown 188 Km and safely drilled the twelve wells in 120 days for a total cost of less than $20 million. By the end of the first six wells the rig was moving and drilling new wells on an average of every 6.5 days. To accomplish this rapid drilling/evaluating/moving rate, an extensive construction and logistic effort was required to assure that the base camp and the drillsite locations were ready on schedule, functional, and that helicopters and marine craft activities were closely coordinated for rig and material movements.

The Conoco KBS "A" slimhole project was completed within budget and on schedule. Operationally, this construction/drilling project was regarded as a complete success.