Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, OTCQX:VLERF) has announced completion of an eight well drilling campaign on its Nong Yao field in the offshore Gulf of Thailand, which includes the Company’s first ever multi-lateral development well.
Dr. Sean Guest, President and CEO commented:
“We continue to access new oil reservoirs with ongoing drilling, and have again increased production from the Nong Yao field, our largest producing asset. Moreover, in this campaign, our team has demonstrated the potential for multi-lateral drilling in the Gulf of Thailand as a way to enhance the efficiency of what is already a world-class drilling and completions organisation. This continues our long tradition of embracing new technology, and sets the stage to deploy this approach broadly across our portfolio.”
Nong Yao Drilling
Valeura drilled eight new wellbores into its Nong Yao field (block G11/48, 90% operated working interest). The programme included one appraisal well, which encountered its target as intended, and will give rise to future development drilling at the Nong Yao A platform. The remaining seven were drilled as horizontal development wells from both the Nong Yao A and B platforms, all encountering their targets successfully, and being brought online as producers. Among the development wells was NYA-42ST1H, which set a new Gulf of Thailand record for the longest horizontal lateral ever drilled, measuring 4,960’.
Aggregate oil production volumes from the Nong Yao field have increased as a result of both the drilling campaign and also a well workover campaign conducted concurrently on the Nong Yao B and C platforms, to optimise well performance. Prior to the work programme, production rates averaged 8,870 bbls/d (seven-day period ending 04 April 2026), and have since increased to rates of approximately 10,500 bbls/d (seven-day period ending 16 June 2026, Valeura’s working interest share, before royalties).
First Multi-lateral Well
As part of the drilling campaign, Valeura successfully executed its first ever multi-lateral well. Within the new wellbore, NYB-02ST1, Valeura constructed a complex junction point from which two separate horizontal production legs were drilled in turn, each targeting a different reservoir interval (and are thereby recorded as two separate development wells). This was the first multi-lateral with this level of complexity ever attempted in Thailand.
The two lateral development intervals are now delivering oil production from two separate development targets, while occupying only one well slot on the wellhead facility. This multi-lateral approach fits well with Valeura’s objective to maximise the production potential of its facilities and to access as much reservoir as possible.
Valeura sees potential for multi-lateral drilling across its portfolio, and is evaluating its forward drilling schedule to identify suitable candidates on its other Gulf of Thailand fields, which may lend themselves to wells with two (or more) separate lateral production legs.
Further Drilling
Valeura’s contracted drilling rig has now been mobilised to the Jasmine field (block B5/27, 100% interest) where the Company plans to conduct a five-well drilling programme, comprised of three single-bore development wells, and a two-wellbore multi-lateral development well.
