Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Salamander Energy Plc, a U.K. explorer, is preparing to drill a well in Laos as it suspended a well onshore Thailand.
The Bang Nouan-1 well on the Savannakhet PSC block in Laos is expected to be drilled “in the coming days” the London- based explorer said in a statement today.
The Si That-3 well in block L13/48 in Thailand was suspended after testing failed to detect “free gas flow,” and APICO, the operator, will review the remaining prospectivity of the license. A so-called hydraulic workover unit was secured for the Phu Kheng-1 zone on block L27/43 and work is expected to restart in early March, Salamander said.
Northern Thailand may need an additional 1,500 megawatts of power capacity by 2012, providing a ready market for regional natural gas discoveries, Salamander said in December.
Salamander is the operator and has a 30 percent interest in Savannakhet. A 30 percent stake is also held by Origin Energy Ltd., to whom the U.K. explorer farmed out interests in five blocks in December. Salamander has 27.2 and 16.3 percent interests in blocks L27/43 and L13/48 in Thailand, respectively, both of which are operated by APICO.
