Revealing New Hydrocarbon Potential in Mature Basin, A Case Study From North Madura Platform, East Java Basin, Indonesia

Several basins in Indonesia have been explored and produced for more than 10 decades. With the country’s aspiration of 1 million BOPD oil and 12 billion SCFPD gas production by 2030, efforts in enhancing recovery from existing reservoirs/fields and further exploration in mature and frontier areas have become critical. The East Java Basin has a long exploration history with a total of approximately 700 exploration wells drilled, resulting in more than 4 billion BOE of hydrocarbon resources from 143 fields, thus this area is considered a mature basin. To further explore a mature basin, it is crucial to get additional new data, improve on the available data, and promote new ideas. A case study from the North Madura Platform, East Java Basin which has a series of seismic reprocessing conducted through the years, has been developed to support exploration and exploitation activities. The latest seismic FWI PSDM reprocessing completed in 2020 has enhanced seismic resolution and shown better visualization of carbonate body identification in deeper interval, hence this helps in resolving structural uncertainty. Further innovative G&G studies and improved exploration techniques have opened new hydrocarbon potential within this area. A collaborative and holistic approach has been applied as guidance in decision-making to streamline the strategy process. In early 2021, a wildcat exploration well was drilled and succeeded in marking an important milestone with the discovery of a new pool in a very thick oil-bearing carbonate build-up with very good reservoir quality from deeper Late Eocene Ngimbang Carbonate Play. The discovery has successfully unlocked the vast potential available in this mature basin. The recent oil discovery in the North Madura Platform, East Java Basin, is a success story that should spark an increase in exploration campaigns in this basin as well as in other mature basins in Indonesia.