Mubadala Petroleum, the Abu Dhabi headquartered international energy company, has successfully commenced first gas production from the Pegaga gas field in Block SK 320, offshore Malaysia.

This milestone marks the safe and successful culmination of a challenging gas project, during a period in which Mubadala Petroleum navigated the challenges of the global pandemic. As a key strategic development for the local energy sector, Pegaga will be a key producing field supplying gas to PETRONAS LNG Complex, in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Mansoor Mohamed Al Hamed, CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, commented: 
“The Pegaga achievement is a landmark for Mubadala Petroleum. Having taken this project from discovery to development and now into production with the support of Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), PETRONAS, our partners and contractors, this demonstrates our deep capabilities, resilience and commitment as an energy provider. With our strategic focus on gas as a key bridge fuel in the energy transition, this achievement reflects our ambition for the future as a long-term investor and strategic energy partner.”

PETRONAS Senior Vice President of Malaysia Petroleum Management, Mohamed Firouz Asnan said: 
“On behalf of PETRONAS, I would like to congratulate Mubadala Petroleum and their partners on achieving this key milestone, as the Pegaga field is well positioned to significantly contribute towards sustaining Malaysia’s gas supply for many decades to come.”

“The project, which undertook its Final Investment Decision at the time when the oil market was still recovering in 2018, demonstrates the confidence of investors in Malaysia’s upstream industry. The country’s ecosystem also proved its resiliency with the successful design and fabrication of facilities completed during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.” he added.

Mubadala Petroleum has been present in Malaysia since 2010 and is the Operator of Block SK 320 with a 55 percent interest. PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of PETRONAS holds 25 percent, with Sarawak Shell Berhad holding the remaining 20 percent interest.

The Pegaga gas field is located in the Central Luconia province, offshore Sarawak, Malaysia at about 108-meter water depth. The development concept comprises of an Integrated Central Processing Platform (ICPP) consisting of an 8-legged jacket. The facility is designed for gas throughput of 550 million standard cubic feet of gas per day plus condensate. The produced gas will be evacuated through a new 4 KM, 38-inch subsea pipeline tying into an existing offshore gas network and subsequently to the onshore PETRONAS LNG Complex in Bintulu.

At the height of the pandemic in Malaysia, the jacket and wellhead deck which were constructed in Lumut and Kuching fabrication yards, were installed in April 2020 followed by the Pegaga Development Drilling campaign. The ICPP float-over and installation was then safely completed in August 2021.

SK320

Mubadala Petroleum, as operator, has a 55 percent interest in the block with partners PETRONAS Carigali holding 25 percent and Shell 20 percent. The block comprises a robust and diverse portfolio of exploration prospects. 3D and 2D seismic acquisition data were acquired in 2010 and 2012, which led to the successful appraisal of the M5 discovery in 2012. An exploration drilling campaign in 2013-14 yielded three new, substantial gas discoveries - Pegaga, Sirih, Sintok – that together represent a very significant hydrocarbon resource and hold the potential for a commercially attractive, integrated development. Work is ongoing to evaluate all the options for commercializing the resources with focus on Pegaga while the other discoveries are being assessed in a phased approach. Regulatory endorsement was received in April 2016 for the preferred concept for developing the Pegaga gas discovery and in July 2016, the contract for front-end engineering and design (FEED) was awarded.

In mid-2016, Mubadala Petroleum completed a 3D broadband marine seismic survey over the block. This survey was a joint collaboration between three operators covering four blocks in the largest single 3D seismic acquisition campaign in Malaysia. Interpretation of the 3D seismic data acquired over the block is ongoing.

Development
In March 2018, Shell, Petronas and their partner Mubadala Petroleum unveiled plans to invest more than US$1bn to develop the Pegaga offshore gas field in the Central Luconia province (Sarawak) in Malaysia. The field is located in Block SK320, operated by Mubadala Petroleum (55%), while Petronas and Shell hold respectively 25% and 20%. The Final Investment Decision (FID) has been reached and first gas is expected by the third quarter of 2021. The field output will amount 550 mcf/d (15.5 mcm/d or 5.7 bcm/year) and gas production will be delivered to the Malaysia LNG plant in Bintulu. 

KeyFacts Energy: Mubadala Petroleum  Malsysia country profile