Bass Oil Strikes New Pay Zone at Bunian 6 Tripling Field Output to 750 bopd
Key Takeaways
- The M sand at Bunian 6 flowed at ~2,400 bopd on clean-up and 1,264 bopd on a sustained three-hour flow test, with zero water produced in either phase — a first-ever oil discovery in this zone at the Bunian field.
- Bunian 6 has confirmed three separate pay zones (M Sand, TRM3, and K1), with TRM3 forecast at 500 bopd initial rate and 151,000 barrels estimated ultimate recovery on a P50, 100% JV share basis.
- Bass's 55% operated share of Bunian field production is projected to grow from approximately 140 bopd to 410 bopd once Bunian 6 comes online — a near-tripling of the company's Indonesian output.
- The M sand is already the primary producing zone in the adjacent Tangai oil field, providing established productive credentials that support confidence in the Bunian 6 result.
- Further drill targets at Bunian West and Bunian North West have been identified from the same integrated field study, extending the near-term exploration pipeline beyond this well.
M sand delivers new oil discovery at Bunian 6
Bass Oil Limited has confirmed a new oil discovery in the M sand zone at its Bunian 6 well in Indonesia, a zone that has never previously produced oil in the Bunian field. On a short clean-up flow after the well was swabbed in, the M sand flowed at approximately ~2,400 barrels of oil per day (bopd), recovering 100 barrels of oil with no water on a 23.9mm choke, at a flowing wellhead pressure fluctuating between 210 psi and 395 psi. A shut-in pressure of 560 psi was recorded after 30 minutes.
A subsequent flow test on the M zone produced 1,264 bopd over a three-hour period on a reduced 10.5mm choke at a flowing pressure of 415 psi, recovering an additional 158 barrels of oil with no water.
Critically, the M sand is a bonus discovery on top of two other confirmed pay zones, TRM3 and K1, already identified in the well. The rig was released at 4pm local time on 7 September, with the well configured to test and produce all three zones.
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What this means for Bunian field production
The headline outcome is a projected tripling of Bass’s Indonesian field production. Bunian 6 is expected to boost field output from 250 bopd currently to at least 750 bopd on a 100% share basis. Translated to Bass’s 55% operated interest, that means the company’s share of production grows from approximately 140 bopd to 410 bopd.
The well has been completed to access all three pay zones, with the completion configured to test and produce each zone separately. Testing will commence with the M zone to aid in selecting which zone will be put into production first. Based on internal modelling, the TRM3 has an expected initial production rate of 500 bopd and an estimated ultimate recovery of 151,000 barrels of oil on a P50, 100% JV share basis. The company cautions that actual results may differ and are subject to drilling and completion outcomes along with reservoir performance. K1 is scheduled to follow sequentially after TRM3.
The flowline tie-in to the production facility is expected to be completed shortly after the rig moves off location.
Zone summary and production sequence:
- M Sand: New discovery, flow tested at ~2,400 bopd clean-up and 1,264 bopd sustained
- TRM3: Confirmed pay zone, forecast initial rate of 500 bopd (internal modelling, actual results may differ)
- K1: Confirmed pay zone, parameters to be confirmed via well testing
Tino Guglielmo, Managing Director
“The Bunian 6 well result has exceeded our pre-drill expectations. The oil pay identified in the highly productive M sand is a welcome bonus and will increase field oil recoveries. This result offers Bass significant production growth at a time of high oil prices. This is the first success in a diversified program of projects underway that aim to establish Bass as a profitable mid-tier energy company.”
| Zone | Status | Key Metric | Production Sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| M Sand | New discovery — flow tested | ~2,400 bopd clean-up / 1,264 bopd flow test | To be selected after testing |
| TRM3 | Pay zone confirmed | 500 bopd forecast initial rate (internal modelling) | To be selected after testing |
| K1 | Pay zone confirmed | To be confirmed via well testing | To be selected after testing |
Understanding oil well flow testing — what investors need to know
When an oil well is first drilled, mud and fluids used during drilling can block the natural flow of hydrocarbons. A “swab” or clean-up flow is the initial period where the well is cleared of these fluids to allow reservoir oil to flow freely. It is a short, uncontrolled period designed to establish that oil is present — not a measure of sustained production capacity. The ~2,400 bopd figure from Bunian 6 comes from this clean-up phase.
The absence of water in both the clean-up and flow test recoveries is a meaningful signal. When water appears early in a flow test, it can indicate the well is producing from near the water-oil contact, which limits the volume of recoverable oil above it. Zero water production suggests the well has encountered a clean oil column with good separation from any underlying water, which is a positive indicator of reservoir quality.
Choke size — measured in millimetres — controls how fast oil flows to surface. A larger choke means higher flow rate but more stress on the reservoir. The fact that even at the reduced 10.5mm choke the well still produced 1,264 bopd tells you the reservoir has genuine pressure and deliverability behind it, not just a surface flush.
Testing three zones separately matters because not all reservoirs are equal. By isolating TRM3, K1 and M, the operator can identify which zone delivers the best early production rates and optimise the sequence to maximise revenue from day one.
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Broader growth strategy: Bunian 6 as the first step
Managing Director Tino Guglielmo described this result as “the first success in a diversified program of projects underway that aim to establish Bass as a profitable mid-tier energy company.” That framing positions Bunian 6 not as a standalone event but as the opening move in a broader growth strategy.
The well itself was identified through an integrated field study involving reprocessing of the Sukananti 3D survey and advanced seismic attribute analysis. That same study has identified further drill targets at Bunian West and Bunian North West, meaning the exploration pipeline from this work is not yet exhausted.
It is also worth noting that the M sand, while a first for the Bunian field, is already the primary producing zone in the adjacent Tangai oil field. Its productive credentials in the broader area are therefore established, which supports confidence in the Bunian 6 result.
Beyond Indonesia, Bass holds a majority interest in 14 Cooper Basin permits in Australia, including 100% ownership of the Worrior and Padulla oil fields. The company is debt-free and is planning to enter the Australian East Coast Gas Market in late 2026.
Near-term catalysts to watch:
- Production testing programme across TRM3, K1 and M zones
- Zone selection and commencement of first production
- Flowline tie-in completion to the production facility
- Reserve impact quantification following well test data analysis
- Further drilling at the Bunian West and Bunian North West targets
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