Eni gets approval for Merakes development

Italy’s state-controlled energy giant Eni received approval for its plan of development for the Merakes field located in the Makassar Strait, offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia. 

The Merakes field that is estimated to hold about 2 trillion cubic feet of lean gas in place is located in 1500 meters water depth, 35 km South West of the Jangkrik floating production unit (FPU).

Indonesia’s minister of Energy and Mineral Resources has granted the approval just 3 months after the submission of the plan and less than eleven months after Eni started production from its Jangkrik fields complex.

Eni said the proximity of Merakes discovery to the Jangkrik FPU will allow it to maximize the synergies with existing nearby infrastructures as well as to reduce costs and time of the execution of this second deepwater development in Indonesia.

The POD foresees the drilling and completion of six subsea wells and the construction and installation of subsea systems and pipelines which will be connected to the Jangkrik FPU. The gas will then be shipped through the existing pipelines from the Jangkrik FPU to the Bontang LNG processing facility operated by PT Badak in the East Kalimantan, extending the life of the facility.

“Today’s approval of the Merakes POD is a milestone for the development of our most recent discovery in the Kutei Basin. It is a fundamental step to progress towards the Final Investment Decision of the project,” Eni’s CEO, Claudio Descalzi said.

Eni is the operator of East Sepinggan PSC, where the Merakes field is located, through its unit Eni East Sepinggan Limited which holds 85 percent participating interest while Pertamina Hulu Energy holds the remaining 15 percent.