No figures were reported but the Ministry said commercial amounts of natural gas were discovered in the first well of the program. The third well also 'encountered natural gas' while the second well was dry. It said further exploration will be needed to confirm the exact reserves.
The faltering Nam Phong power plant in Khon Kaen, which generates power for the northeastern region, is being starved for feedstock gas by ExxonMobil's dwindling Nam Phong field. If the field is commercialised, a pipeline could be laid to pipe gas to the plant.
