Ophir Energy acquires four deepwater PSCs offshore Indonesia

LONDON -- Ophir Energy has completed the acquisition of four deepwater Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) in Indonesia from Niko Resources.

The PSCs that have been acquired are West Papua IV, Aru, Kofiau and Halmahera-Kofiau, all of which will be operated by Ophir. The PSCs are located in two core areas in Eastern Indonesia—West Papua and the Western Birds Head, both of which are highly prospective basins with exposure to a mix of proven and frontier oil and gas plays.

Ophir is also in the process of completing the acquisition from Niko of two additional PSCs—North Makassar Strait and North Ganal. Ophir has separately decided that it will no longer be proceeding with the acquisition of the Obi PSC.

“The acquisition of these highly prospective deepwater PSCs continues the build-out of our operations in Southeast Asia. Our new Jakarta office, formerly Salamander's, will headquarter the operating teams and will be complemented by Ophir's exploration team. The combination and rationalization of the former Salamander and Niko operations in Indonesia will provide additional cost synergies to those that we reported as part of the Salamander acquisition," Nick Cooper, CEO of Ophir Energy, said. 

"Ophir will now commission 2D and 3D seismic acquisition programs on these blocks as we look to build our prospect inventory for high grading and then drilling in 2016-2017,” Cooper added.