RH Petrogas has announced that its 82.65% owned subsidiary Petrogas (Basin) Ltd. has on 21 November 2025 spudded the Karim-1 exploration well in the Kepala Burung Production Sharing Contract ('PSC'), Southwest Papua, Indonesia.
The Karim-1 well is being drilled onshore in a relatively under-explored area within the Arar block and is situated approx. 23 km east of the Group’s existing Arar production cluster. Utilising the Group’s own rig, Karim-1 will be drilled as a vertical well to a proposed total depth of approx. 4,300 feet (approx. 1,311 m). Drilling and completion is estimated to take 43 days.
The Karim-1 well is designed to assess the oil potential of the Miocene Kais reservoir within a structural closure located updip of the previous Klaifi-1 oil discovery, situated approx. 7 km northwest of the Karim-1 well. The Miocene Kais formation is a carbonate sequence that forms a broad shallow marine platform with localised reefal complexes and is the main producing reservoir in the PSC.
Following the completion of the Karim-1 well, the drilling rig will be deployed to drill the Northwest Klagagi-1 exploration well, which is located approx. 15 km northeast of the Arar production cluster and about 12 km from the Karim-1 well site. The Karim-1 well and the Northwest Klagagi-1 well are part of the Group’s exploration wells being drilled under the firm work commitment of the Kepala Burung PSC which commenced in 2020.
Mr. Francis Chang, Group CEO and Executive Director, commented, 'We are excited to commence the drilling of our two back-to-back exploration wells in the Kepala Burung PSC. Preparations have been underway since 2024, including securing the requisite environmental and forestry permits, procurement and site preparation, and upgrading of the drilling rig to enhance its capacity and reliability. The two wells are located in a remote but prospective area in the eastern part of the Arar block, and drilling them back-to-back will significantly reduce rig mobilisation and ancillary logistics costs.'
Background
RH Petrogas ('RHP') is an independent upstream oil and gas company headquartered in Singapore and listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Stock Exchange. RHP operates across the full range of upstream activities covering the exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources. Geographically, RHP is focused in the ASEAN region. RHP has undertaken a strategic renewal and revamp of its asset portfolio in recent years and currently holds two new producing assets in Indonesia. RHP aspires to be a leading independent energy company in the ASEAN region.
Source: RH Petrogas
