DILI, 10 April 2026 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s petroleum regulator has announced the arrival of seismic survey vessels, marking a new phase in the country’s offshore energy exploration efforts.
“This important activity marks a significant step forward in strengthening the nation’s commitment to responsible natural resource exploration and long-term economic growth,” ANP said.
The SWY BLY itself, a state-of-the-art seismic vessel equipped with advanced geophysical technology, will conduct offshore seismic surveys aimed at improving understanding of subsurface geology and identifying potential hydrocarbon resources.
Gualdino said: “The data acquired through this survey will contribute to informed decision-making, promote investment confidence, and support sustainable development of the energy sector in Timor-Leste.”
The operation is part of ongoing cooperation between the government, Italy’s Eni and other industry partners, with a focus on ensuring exploration activities meet international standards.
ANP said the work prioritizes “safety, environmental protection, and operational excellence.”
The vessel’s presence highlights the country’s long-term commitment to developing its offshore resources responsibly.
“The presence of SW BLY demonstrates Timor-Leste’s ongoing commitment to unlocking its offshore potential while maintaining transparency and responsibility in managing its natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.
In 2023, ANP, representing the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MPRM), signed a Production Sharing Contract (“PSC”) TL-SO-22-23 with Eni Timor 22-23 B.V., which is one of the subsidiaries of Eni Italy incorporated under the law of the Netherlands.
The PSC itself covers an area of 4,032.221 square kilometers, and it is situated in the southern offshore of the Timor-Leste sea, adjacent to the Greater Sunrise field as well as the Chuditch field. This block itself was one of the blocks among 18 blocks that the government of Timor-Leste released through the Timor-Leste Second Licensing Round 2019/2022.
Eni Timor 22-23 B.V. commits to carrying out several exploration works during its initial exploration period, as contemplated under Article 4 of the PSC, starting from 3D seismic acquisition with an area of coverage of around 1,500 square kilometers, along with 2D seismic acquisition of around 50 line kilometers.
Upon conclusion of seismic acquisition, Eni Timor 22-23 B.V. will proceed with the interpretation of the acquired data in order to better understand and determine the drillable prospect, which will subsequently be drilled in the third year of the first exploration period. In light of all these commitments, Eni Timor 22-23 B.V. has finally secured the SWY BLY vessel, with one support vessel and three chase vessels, in order to execute its commitment to acquire both 3D and 2D data from its PSC area.
The objective of the seismic survey is to properly image the Tithonian Dujong Prospect, where the target horizon is the Echuca (BAPT) and the deeper Permian (PERM) horizon.
The primary Echuca (BAPT) horizon is located at about 2,000–3,000 m, and the secondary Permian (PERM) horizon is located between 3,700–4,800 m. Considering this, the 3D seismic survey full fold area will cover approximately 1,500 km² (50 km by 30 km) within PSC TL-50 22-23. An additional ~35 km² of 3D seismic data will also be acquired, crossing over to the Sikatan-1/ST1 well location in PSC TL-50 19-16 (operated by Sunda Energy). The committed 60 km 2D seismic line will also be acquired in an approximate NE-SW orientation and will also extend into PSC TL-50 19-16 to tie the Sikatan-1/ST1 well. The operational activity for seismic acquisition is estimated to take around 10 weeks to be completed.
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