Medco seeks $275m in loans to finance oil field in Libya.

Publicly listed PT Medco Energi International is seeking as much as US$275 million worth of loans to develop its oil block in Libya.

Medco project director Lukman Mahfoedz said the so-called Area 47 project in Libya would cost $800 million for facility construction and $300 million for development.

“Of the total cost of US$ 1.1 billion, Medco will only contribute 25 percent,” he said.

Medco president director Darmoyo Doyoatmojo said he was optimistic the company would secure the required loans.

“Once a reserve has been found, the project’s risk will be very small,” he said, adding Medco had talked with several banks about loans.

Area 47 is estimated to have contingent reserves of 307 million barrels of oil. Under the production sharing agreement, Medco and partner Canada-based Verenex jointly own 13.7 percent of the reserve, while Libya’s National Oil Company owns the remaining 86.3 percent once the block starts production.

Verenex is currently trying to sell its stake in the block, with Indonesian state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina reportedly looking to acquire the stake.

Darmoyo said Medco expected Area 47 to begin production by the end of 2010, with an average output of 50,000 barrels oil per day (bpd).

“We’ve submitted our appraisal reports on the project’s economic viability to Libya’s National Oil Company, and we expect to receive its approval in the third quarter,” he said.

Medco, controlled by the Panigoro family, recorded $280 million in net profit last year, up from $7 million in 2007.

Source:The jakarta post

Two new oil & gas discoveries in Libya

The Libyan state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) has reported two new oil and natural gas discoveries - one with Algerian partner Sonatrach in the Ghadames basin and the other with Spanish partners Repsol YPF SA and OMV AG in the Sirte basin.

NOC said Sonatrach made the first discovery on Block 65 in the Ghadames basin with the wildcat A1-65/02 well. The well was drilled to 9,033 ft TD about 230 km south of Tripoli, encountered both oil and gas in the Mamouniyat formation at intervals of 8,532 and 8,560 ft.
Testing of the wildcat showed oil of 48.8° gravity flowing at 1,344 b/d and gas flowing at 1.88 MMcfd through a 28/64-in. choke, NOC said.

NOC holds a 75% stake in the Block 65 license, while Sonatrach holds the remaining 25% stake, which it acquired in 2005.

NOC's second reported discovery, in the Sirte basin about 500 km east of Tripoli, was with the A1-NC202 wildcat, drilled to 15,815 ft TD in 50 m of water.

NOC said the A1-NC202 discovery found both oil and gas in the Demah formation at intervals of 4,442 and 4,484 ft. Testing of the well showed 26° gravity oil flowing at 1,264 b/d and gas flowing at 0.58 MMcfd through a 32/64-in. choke.

Repsol YPF operates the NC202 Block, which was awarded in 2003. Repsol YPF holds 21% interest, while NOC has a 65% stake, and OMV holds the remaining 14%.