Offshore work to start

 By SHIRLEY MAULUDU

PAPUA New Guinea’s first offshore oil drilling project may begin in 2018, it has been revealed.

Senior project engineer with Twinza Oil Limited Eric Kowa said the company would develop the Pasca field, located 95 kilometres off Gulf. 

The field has been abandoned for almost 45 years. 

“Twinza has taken an interest in the operations of the asset in 2011,” Kowa said. 

“And since that time, significant technical work has been done with support of the Department of Petroleum and Energy. 

“In April this year, Twinza submitted a notice of discovery over Pasca. 

“It’s a certified resource, just under 100 mmboe (million barrels of oil equivalent). 

“Twinza has taken steps following resource certification to put forward a field development plan on the asset through the department of petroleum and energy.

“Work is underway in progressing the environmental impact statement for submission to the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority by the end of the year.

“With the support of the Minister for Petroleum and Energy, and the Gulf Governor, we are looking forward to move towards development drilling by the fourth quarter of next year. 

“We are opening the offshore hydrocarbon development of this country.  

“It’s a pioneering aspect in many areas and we are looking forward to it.”  

Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban said Twinza Oil had taken a huge step in considering an offshore prospect which was new in the industry’s dimension in terms of the development of oil and gas.