Depending on rig availability, Cue said further appraisal drilling is expected to occur before the end of this year to determine the full potential of the Wortel gas accumulation in the Sampang production sharing contract offshore East Java.

Early last month, the Santos-led joint venture announced that the Wortel-1 discovery well had flowed 18.5 million cubic feet of gas per day with associated condensate on drill stem test through a 56.64-inch choke. This news followed wireline log interpretation suggesting the well had encountered a 141m gross gas column in a good quality reservoir.

Then on September 27, the JV spudded the Wortel-2 well about 1km southeast of the discovery well.

The gas discovery was not far from the Oyong oil and gas field, where a platform has been installed and a pipeline was planned to supply gas to a power station at Grati in east Java.

Participants in the Sampang PSC are Santos (with a 40.5% stake), Singapore Petroleum Sampang (36%), Cue (13.5%) and PT Petrogas Oyong Jatim (10%).