Italian energy company Eni has discovered approximately five trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in place with its Geliga‑1 exploration well in the Ganal block, offshore Indonesia’s Kutei Basin.
Early estimates also indicate the presence of 300 million barrels (mbbl) of condensate at the site.
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Situated roughly 70km off the coast of East Kalimantan, the Geliga‑1 well reached a total depth of approximately 5,100m and is positioned in waters roughly 2,000m deep.
Drilling at the well uncovered a substantial gas column within the targeted Miocene formation.
The Geliga‑1 discovery lies within the Ganal production sharing contract (PSC), where Eni holds an 82% operating stake and Sinopec owns the remaining 18%.
Eni plans to conduct a drill stem test to evaluate the productivity of the reservoir.
This discovery follows a series of finds in the Kutei Basin, including Geng North, which was discovered in late 2023, and the Konta‑1 discovery announced in December 2025.
The Geliga‑1 find comes after final investment decisions were made for the Gendalo and Gandang gas developments in the South Hub, as well as for the Geng North and Gehem sites in the North Hub.
The North Hub project will utilise a new floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility capable of handling one billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d) of gas and 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) of condensate. Additionally, the project will make use of the existing Bontang LNG facility.
Eni is assessing options to speed up the development of the Geliga‑1 discovery, taking into account its location near existing and planned infrastructure.
The new field sits next to the undeveloped Gula discovery, which holds an estimated 2tcf of gas and 75mbbl of condensate.
Combined resources from Geliga and Gula are expected to support additional production of 1bscf/d of gas and 80,000bpd of condensate.
Studies are in progress to evaluate the potential establishment of a third production hub in the Kutei Basin and to examine the possibility of expanding liquefaction capacity at the Bontang LNG plant.
In the past six months, Eni has drilled four additional wells within the Kutei Basin.
It plans to continue its exploration in the area with a further well scheduled for this year and two for next year.
The Ganal PSC is part of a group of 19 blocks in Indonesia and Malaysia that will be developed by Searah, a new joint venture between Eni and Petronas, announced in November 2025.
Searah will combine assets, technical skills and financial resources, aiming to develop approximately three billion barrels of oil equivalent in discovered reserves and unlock additional exploration in the region.
Eni established its presence in Indonesia in 2001 and currently holds a varied upstream portfolio.
Daily net production is around 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent, primarily from the Jangkrik and Merakes fields off East Kalimantan.
