Moran png

The Moran oil field in the Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, 480 kilometres north west of Port Moresby, comprises the Central Moran oil field, a unitised pool that contains licence areas PDL2, PDL5 and PDL6. PDL2 and PDL6 are operated by Oil Search (PNG) Limited and ExxonMobil operates PDL5. Joint venture partners in the Moran Unit include the following companies; Oil Search with 47.38 percent and (Ampolex PNG Petroleum Inc, Esso Highlands Limited and Merlin Pacific Oil Company Limited), all subsidiary companies of ExxonMobil, with 28.95 percent. Eda Oil Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petromin PNG Holdings which holds 11.28 percent, AGL Gas Developments (PNG) Pty Ltd has 5.24 percent, Merlin Petroleum Company has a 3.07 percent holding, Petroleum Resources Kutubu Limited has 2.97 percent and Petroleum Resources Moran Limited has a 1.12 percent holding.

Moran Oil Field Discovered in 1996
Oil was discovered in oil bearing sand in the Moran field within PDL2 in 1996 and it is currently producing oil from the utilisation of 13 producing wells and three gas injection wells which are located at a higher structural elevation than that of the main oil field. Gas injection is the main oil recovery process used at the Moran oil field. It requires the injection of up to 100 million cubic feet of gas a day. Development drilling is also taking place in an effort to maximise recovery from four producing fault blocks. In March 2001 the Central Moran Unit Agreement between the joint venture partners was signed with full field development of the project being completed in 2002.

Moran Oil Field Developed as a Single Unit
The Central Moran Oil Field has been developed as a single unit being designed and installed on the following basis:
1. Oil recovery by means of injection of Moran solution gas along with Agogo gas to maintain oil reservoir pressure
2. Oil production capacity of 24,000 barrels a day
3. Gas injection capacity of 105 million standard cubic feet a day

Oil produced from the Moran oil field is processed at the Agogo Production Plant with liquids piped to the central production facility where it is further processed and stored before being exported through an export pipeline.

Moran Sourced Crude oil Marketed as 'Kutubu Blend'
As at December 2013, Oil Search (PNG) Limited's share of the recoverable oil reserve at Moran stood at 13.9 million barrels, the oil is mainly contained in the generally high permeability oil rims in the Digimu and Toro sandstones. Moran crude oil is marketed along with Kutubu and Gobe oil as 'Kutubu Blend.'
Oil Search (PNG) Limited is a gas and oil exploration and development company that has been operating in Papua New Guinea since 1929. Most of its assets are still located within Papua New Guinea where it holds a large portfolio of gas and oil exploration and production licences. The company currently operates all of Papua New Guinea's currently producing gas and oil fields.
†