Publications

Conventional hydrocarbon energy remains the primary focus of Indonesia's exploration efforts. However, the development of unconventional hydrocarbons, such as those from shale rock reservoirs, is critical to achieving Indonesia's production target of 1 MMSTB/day. Unconventional reservoirs, such as those in the Barito Basin's Tanjung Formation, hold significant potential to meet domestic energy demands. Globally, countries like the U.S., China, and Canada have advanced in unconventional hydrocarbon development, particularly from shale reservoirs. Geochemical analysis of Well-2 cutting samples (2170–2948 m) revealed Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values ranging from 1.26 to 5.98 wt.%, categorized as good to excellent, with hydrocarbon indices of 111–268 mgHC/g, indicating strong oil and gas potential. Vitrinite reflectance values (0.52–0.63) confirmed sample maturity, with the gas window identified at a depth of 2681 m. Burial history data indicated a formation age of 20 million years. Petrophysical analysis showed a high correlation (0.92) between TOC predictions and laboratory data, while seismic inversion demonstrated a 0.99 correlation coefficient between acoustic impedance and TOC values, which ranged from 0.5 to 1.12 wt.% in seismic line 91TR-46. This integration of geochemical, petrophysical, and seismic data provides accurate TOC mapping and validates the Barito Basin's shale rock hydrocarbon potential, optimizing unconventional resource exploration in Indonesia. One of the crucial technologies for drilling this reservoir is Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) which uses a Constant Bottom Hole Pressure (CBHP) system. This system maintains pressure above the formation pressure by using circulating friction pressure under (dynamic conditions) and by applying surface back pressure under (static conditions).