Petronas has launched a tender for a drillship to drill the Redha-1 wildcat, its first operated deepwater exploration well offshore Indonesia on the Bobara PSC. The well is planned to spud in the third quarter.

Location and Block Details

The Redha prospect is on the remote Bobara Production Sharing Contract (PSC), also referred to as the Bobara Working Area, in the Arafura Sea off West Papua. Petronas signed the 30-year PSC in May 2024. The block covers 8444.49 square kilometres and has potential resources of 6.8 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The maximum water depth exceeds 3000 metres.

Partnership and Interest

Petronas operates the Bobara PSC with a 51% participating interest. Partners TotalEnergies and Pertamina Hulu Energi each hold a 24.5% stake, having farmed into the project via separate deals after the PSC was signed.

Drillship Tender Specifications

The tender is for a one-well contract, with operations expected to start in September or October. Key requirements for bidders and the drilling unit include:

• The drillship must have experience operating in water depths of more than 1800 metres.
• The unit must be ready to commence work or be warm-stacked.
• The winning contractor must provide the drillship and ancillary services, including personnel, materials, and engineering.
• The required technical services cover a full range of drilling, completion, testing, and well intervention operations.
• Bidders must have completed a similar workscope within the past 10 years.
• The contract has a minimum local content (TKDN) requirement of 5%, and Indonesia-flagged units will be considered.

Tender Process

The prequalification documents are available until 18 March. The online registration period runs from 16 to 18 March. This tender follows an earlier one by Petronas for platform supply vessels to support the Redha-1 operation.

Industry Context

This activity is part of an upstream renaissance in Indonesia driven by industry majors. Current hotspots include the Andaman Sea, the Kutei basin, and Papua. In a related development, Eni is also seeking a drillship for its operations in Indonesia following a recent gas discovery off East Kalimantan.