Apico is still offering a farm-in opportunity in L27/43 concession in the Khorat Plateau Basin, northeast Thailand, as of late October 2018.Â  The concession contains the undeveloped Dong Mun gas discovery and several undrilled prospects. The farm-in opportunity is available for both Dong Mun Production Area and Exploration Reservation Areas. All exploration and development planning and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for drilling have been approved by the government.     The approval of the Dong Mun field production block was granted after the successful re-entry drilling of the Dong Mun 3ST in February 2012. The development period for Dong Mun field has been extended to August 2020. The production period for Dong Mun field is scheduled to expire on 24 September 2032.   Discovery well Dong Mun 1 successfully tested a shelf edge reefal build-up and reached a TD of 3,475m in Permian Saraburi Group limestones. The well was tested over four intervals in the same limestones, flowed a maximum of 23 MMcfg/d from the section 2,705-2,798m. Tests over the deeper sections showed a marked reduction in flow rates, attributed to the lower permeabilities at depth. Dong Mun 2 was then drilled to the south in May-August 1990, but was abandoned having flowed only 0.13 MMcfg/d from a limestone section at 2,763-2,882m. The well tested a similar reefal build up to that of Dong Mun 1, but this time within a carbonate platform (rather shelf edge) setting.     Apico, a joint venture comprising Coastal Energy (39%), Tatex Thailand (33.8%) and Ophir Energy (formerly Salamander) (27.2%), is the operator and sole interest holder in the L27/43 concession.     Apico was granted a 31.91 sq km production license in the Dong Mun field by Department of Mineral Fuel (DMF) on 22 August 2012. The estimated cost for the development project is approximately USD 23 million. First commercial gas from the field is expected to flow in 2017 with output capacity of 14 MMscf/day. The application of the production area was submitted after the successful re-entry drilling of the Dong Mun 3ST in February 2012. The well encountered a total of 113 m of gas column in a carbonate section with 6% porosity. Multi rate well test had successfully flowed dry gas to surface at average rate of 15 MMscf/day. On 31 December 2014, the field was estimated to contain 90 Bscf of gas reserves (2P).    For further information, interested parties may contact:    Dwight C. Johnson    Chief Executive Officer    APICO LLC    Phone: +662 659 5805    Fax: +662 659 5810    E-mail: dwight.johnson@apicollc.com    Â   Background Information    On 30 March 2006, Apico (Khorat) Limited, a 100% owned subsidiary of US-based Apico LLC, officially acquired 100% interest of onshore exploration concessions L15/43 and L27/43 from NuCoastal Corporation. The blocks were formally awarded to NuCoastal on 25 September 2003. The concessions are located on the Khorat Plateau and respectively surround and adjoin Amerada Hess's E5 North concession. The application for the blocks was filed in November 2002.     Apico LLC had in early 2005 signed an agreement with NuCoastal to acquire both blocks. On 12 September 2005, NuCoastal entered into a Service Agreement with Apico, to provide necessary services for the effective operations of Apico operated petroleum concessions in Thailand. Work commitments associated with the blocks in the first three years are for an unspecified amount of 2D acquisition in L15/43 and further 2D, plus one well, in L27/43.     The L27/43 was held as the E Khorat (E-1) Concession that comprised the E Khorat concession, awarded in 1979 during the 6th Licensing Round and subsequently farmed-out to Amerada Hess (operator, 80%) and PTTEP (20%) in mid-1990. The original EU (Udon) concession was awarded under the 8th Licensing Round, also to Exxon, in mid-1981 and consisted of two blocks, EU 1 and EU 2. In June 1992, Texaco and Nomeco farmed-in to two of the three blocks (EU 1/A and EU 1/C) with 35% interest each, leaving Esso (operator) with 30% working interest. These two blocks were subsequently relinquished in December 1994. In November 1997, operatorship of the remaining block (EU 1/B) in the concession was transferred to Amerada Hess (80%) and PTTEP exercised its option to back-in for 20% interest.     NuCoastal acquired approximately 370km of 2D seismic, shot over the southern extension of the Phu Horm field, over the Dong Mun gas discovery and over other leads in the concession, from 6 January 2006 to 11 February 2006. The survey is understood to have been paid by Apico.    Dong Mun-3ST1 has tested gas from the re-entry operation on the 2007âs Dong Mun-3 well in block L27/43 Khorat Plateau, northeastern of Thailand. The well encountered 113meters of gas column in the carbonate section with 6% porosity. Multi rate well test had successfully flowed dry gas to surface. The well tested for 24 hours and produced at an average rate of 15 MMcf per day with flowing pressure of 1,950 psi through a 32/64" choke.Â The sidetrack well was drilled to TD at 2,539m TVDSS (3,010mMD). The operator is preparing to file for declaration of gas commerciality and Production Area licence application to follow.     With very encouraging result from DM-3ST and combined with existing DM-1 data, it indicates a commercially viable development project. An application for Production Licence and area to Thailand DMF is in progress.    The re-entry has begun on the suspended onshore appraisal well Dong Mun-3 (DM-3) on 5 January 2012. The DM-3 well has been idle since 2008 after it failed to test well due to lack of testing equipment. The well encountered significant gas shows from various levels in the Jurassic-Triassic Khorat group, which included a 50m gas bearing zone in the interval between 1,426m and 1,467m in the sandstones of the Phu Kradung Formation and a 80m gas bearing zone in the interval between 1,981m and 2,061m in the Nam Phong Formation sandstones. The well also encountered gas in the Pha Nok Khao carbonate objective at a top depth of 2,808m, downdip of the main Dong Mun reef. The well was drilled to TD of 2,837m.     The Pha Nok Formation has been interpreted to be a platform carbonate, showing evidence of dolomitisation from logging activities and a core sample taken from the DM-3 well. Apico is planning a full technical evaluation of the prospect as mapping of the formations had suggested the potential for significant volumes of gas accumulation.     DM-3 was spudded on 8 November 2007 to appraise Esso's 1990 Dong Mun 1 discovery using the "Ensign 16" land rig. Drilled with a PTD of 3,006m, the well had a Permian Pha Nok Khao carbonate target, which contains an estimated 150 Bcf of recoverable reserves. The appraisal well has been estimated to cost approximately US$ 2.7 million, prior to testing, and in the event of a discovery, the gas could be exported to the Nam Phong Power Plant, which is 45km away. After DM-3, the Ensign-16 rig will move to the adjacent L15/43 exploration concession and used to drill the Phu Horm South-1 well. Former operator NuCoastal had acquired approximately 370km of 2D seismic, shot over the southern extension of the Phu Horm field, over the Dong Mun gas discovery and over other leads in Block L27/43, from 6 January 2006 to 11 February 2006. The survey is understood to have been paid by Apico.
Apico is still offering a farm-in opportunity in L27/43 concession in the Khorat Plateau Basin, northeast Thailand, as of late October 2018.  The concession contains the undeveloped Dong Mun gas discovery and several undrilled prospects.