Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Petroleum, an upstream oil and gas exploration and production company, commenced production at Nong Yao oil field, the company’s third oil field in Thailand, yesterday (June 17).

Production is expected to reach a peak rate of approximately 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) as more production wells are completed. Oil from Nong Yao will be sold for local use to meet Thailand’s growing energy needs.

Located in the southern Gulf of Thailand, the field is located within the G11/48 concession, approximately 165 kilometres offshore in a water depth of about 75 meters.

“The project has been delivered with a strong emphasis on safety and, together with our partners KrisEnergy and Palang Sophon Limited, we will have invested approximately $320 million in the development,” said Musabbeh Al Kaabi, chief executive officer, Mubadala Petroleum.

“This is another great milestone for Mubadala Petroleum, as the start of production from Nong Yao has been brought on efficiently, on time and most importantly safely. Nong Yao follows on the heels of the Manora field which started production in November 2014 and is currently producing at its peak rate of approximately 15,000 bopd.

“With three fields producing in Thailand, Jasmine, Manora and now Nong Yao, our gross production in Thailand will reach around 40,000 bopd during the second half of 2015.  This is more than double the rate from a year ago and will make us Thailand’s second largest producer of black oil,” Al Kaabi added.

Nong Yao is the second development in Thailand, after Manora, that Mubadala Petroleum has taken from discovery and appraisal through to development and now production. The field was originally discovered in 2009 and further appraised by five wells. The development concept was selected in 2012 and the project was sanctioned in August 2013.

The facilities comprise a Wellhead Processing Platform (WPP) and a minimum facility Wellhead Platform (WHP), with crude export via a Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel. The facilities have production capacity of up to 15,000 barrels of oil per day and 30,000 barrels of fluids per day.

Proved and probable reserves contained in Nong Yao’s primary reservoirs and recoverable by water injection are estimated to be in the order of 12.4 million barrels (gross).

Mubadala Petroleum holds a 67.5 per cent interest and is the operator of G11/48. KrisEnergy holds a 22.5 per cent interest and Palang Sophon Limited the remaining 10 per cent. – TradeArabia News Service