Fire in Sampang well put out

Fire in Sampang well put out

SYDNEY (AFX): Santos Ltd said the fire in the Sampang well,
offshore East Java, has been put out, although gas is still
escaping from the well bore.

Specialist well control personnel have been mobilized and are
currently assessing the situation at the well site, with
equipment required to kill the well and effect a plug and abandon
operations currently being mobilized locally and from Singapore,
it said.

Santos said it expects the cost of damage from the blow-out to
be covered largely by insurance.

Following the plugging and abandonment of the well, an
assessment will be made of the cause for the blow-out and the
future drilling program in the Sampang PSC, Santos said.

The Sampang PSC is located offshore in the Madura Straits,
Indonesia, and is approximately 35 km east of Surabaya. The well
is located in 14.8 metres of water and was being drilled by the
PT Hitek Nusantara Trident 9 jack-up drilling rig, the statement
said.

Interest holders in the PSC are Santos (Sampang) Pty Ltd, with
a 45 percent stake and Coastal Indonesia Sampang Ltd with a 40
percent share and Cue Sampang Pty Ltd with 15 percent.