Caltex's new project

JAKARTA (JP): Oil company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia has begun the operation of a light oil steamflood (LOSF) project in its Minas oil field in Bengkalis, Riau.

The company announced the tertiary process to recover oil has gone through an intensive screening process, laboratory tests and facility design work conducted by Caltex, Chevron, Texaco and state oil and gas company Pertamina's office for the supervision of foreign contractors.

Chevron and Texaco of America equally own Caltex.

The company said the US$50 million project would extend the production life of the Minas oil field into the 21st century.

According to company data, the Minas oil field currently produces 300,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd)

There are a large number of oil fields in the country that may be able to use the LOSF technology, it said, adding that the Minas LOSF project is the first application of the technology in Southeast Asia. (jsk)