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 VIETNAM
Southeast Asia
Vietnam’s 2,000 km coastline abuts the South China Sea
which overlies a number of rifted basins flanking the coast.
Exploration began offshore Vietnam in the early 1970s but only 39 wells
had been drilled up to 1992.
The first discovery was the Dua gas and condensate field
in 1974 followed by three oil discoveries in the delta of the Mekong
River and a gas discovery in the north. Since foreign companies were
allowed to explore in the early 1990s many new fields have been
discovered, especially since 1997 after a number of companies pulled out
following disappointments with reservoir deliverability in existing
fields.
 The Dai Hung (Big Bear) field in particular, discovered
by Mobil just before the departure of the Americans from South Vietnam,
came onstream in 1987 but was re-developed by BHP and Petronas Carigali
from 1994 before being released back to Petrovietnam in 1999. Dai Hung,
after being forecast to produce 230,000 Bbls per day, never exceeded
12,000 Bbls per day despite huge investment.
In 2003 the Russian Zarubezhneft also decided to withdraw
from the field, which it had been developing in conjunction with Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation (PetroVietnam). For upstream activities
PetroVietnam, a government-owned company, is the only local firm
authorized to conduct operations and all foreign activity must be
conducted in co-operation with it.
The country produces from a number of offshore oil and
gas/condensate fields in the southeast plus one joint field with
Malaysia and there are several discoveries in development or appraisal.
Most production comes from the Cuu Long (oil and gas) and Nam Con Son
(gas/condensate) basins whilst the remainder comes from the Malay/Tho
Chi basin (gas plus oil).
Cuu Long: In Cuu Long the first major producing
fields onstream were Dai Hung, Bach Ho (White Tiger), the largest field
peaking at around 270,000 Bbls per day, Rong, Ruby and Rang Dong (Dawn).
The Bach Ho field also produces around 1.8 Bcm of gas per year through a
107 km, pipeline to shore. This is the Bach Ho Integrated gas project,
which came onstream in 1995.
The Ruby and Rang Dong oil fields, both of which have
considerable amounts of associated gas, are located near the pipeline
and 0.6 Bcm per year of gas from Rang Dong (which used to be flared) is
marketed. A new platform has increased oil production from Rang Dong
from 30,000 Bbls per day to almost 68,000 Bbls per day.
Additional fields have been discovered elsewhere in the
basin. In 2000 to 2001 ConocoPhillips discovered Su Tu Den (Black Lion),
Su Tu Vang (Golden Lion), and Su Tu Trang (White Lion) on Block 15-1
with reported total reserves of 400 mm Bbls. Su Tu Den came onstream in
early 2004 at 60,000 Bbls per day rising to 95,000 Bbls per day and the
other fields are being developed in succession.
During 2002 two large oil and gas fields, Ca Ngu Vang
(Golden Tuna) and Voi Trang (White Elephant), were discovered by SOCO
(on Block 9-2) and the Hoang Long Joint Operating Company (on Block
16-1) respectively. A new small oil accumulation was also discovered in
the Dai Hung field in 2003. In 2004 oil was discovered at Block 52/97
(Vang Den), Block 2-97 (Thang Long) and Block 9-3 (Doi Moi).
Nam Con Son: The Nam Con Son basin is gas-prone
area, located in the southwest of Vietnam adjacent to the north Malay
basin and the Gulf of Thailand. The BP-operated, 60 Bcm Lan Tay and Lan
Do gas/condensate fields came onstream in early 2003 in 152 m of water.
Called the Nam Con Son Integrated Gas Project it delivers gas to Vung
Tau and then to electricity plants in Phu My City.
The 370 km pipeline has a capacity of nearly 7 Bcm to be
used for the nearby Hai Tach, Moc Tinh, Rong Doi and Rong Doi Tay fields
and other future finds. PetroVietnam and PTT of Thailand are studying
the feasibility of building a gas pipeline network in southern Vietnam.
Malay/Tho Chi: In the Malay/Tho Chi basin on the
extreme west of Vietnam Talisman Energy discovered gas at the Cai Nuoc
field in Block 46, which partly lies in the PM-3 commercial arrangement
area jointly owned by Vietnam and Malaysia. In 2002 Lundin Oil brought
onstream the Bunga Kekwa field discovered in 1994 in PM-3, which reached
peak output of 40,000 Bbls per day in 2003 through an FPSO and dedicated
pipeline to Kerteh in Malaysia.
Three other undeveloped discoveries lie nearby. The SW
Integrated Gas Project is planned to produce from PM-3 and the Cai Nuoc
field through a 290 km pipeline to the mouth of the Doc River in Tran
Van Thoi district, then 45 kms over land to the Ca Mau industrial zone.
There is also a further disputed area in this region where Vietnam,
Thailand and Malaysia all have claims.
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