Sunda Energy has updated investors on its latest well planning activities for the Chuditch field, a material asset in the Timor Sea gas fairway, in Timor-Leste.
Following an announcement on 16 June 2025 of the postponement of drilling of the Chuditch-2 well by subsidiary SundaGas Banda Unipessoal, Lda., the UK-listed exploration and production company said it has engaged with local authorities concerning the realisation of the drilling campaign, now likely to be in the first half of 2026.
Sunda Energy executives visited Dili in July for meetings with the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, upstream regulator Autoridade Nacional do Petróleo (ANP) and state-owned joint venture partner TIMOR GAP.
It reported that discussions were “constructive and positive” with all parties committed to completing drilling preparations and executing the campaign on the revised timeline.
In the meantime, it is putting in place a team to assist in the planned campaign, including assessing a revised proposal from the Timor-Leste helicopter company for support on the upcoming offshore work.
The company is also engaged with a number of rig operators in preparation for a full tender exercise to enable the retimed drilling campaign, while the process of securing an environmental permit continues.
The Chuditch production-sharing contract is located 185km south of Timor-Leste, 100km east of the producing Bayu-Undan field, and 50km south of the Greater Sunrise potential development.
The shallow water area contains the Chuditch-1 gas discovery drilled by Shell in 1998, which encountered a 30m gross gas column.
The initial aim is for the drilling of an appraisal well, to be followed by a production flow test (DST) to establish potential flow rates for any anticipated future development.
Separately, Sunda Energy said in a statement that it is “actively engaged” in the pursuit of a number of new business initiatives without identifying details.
It said the target opportunities are “potentially material” and would be “highly impactful” to the company if secured.
Sunda Energy also has applications outstanding on two blocks in the Sulu Sea, offshore Philippines, pending final Presidential signature.
“It is understood that there are now nine new Service Contracts pending signature, including the two in which Sunda will participate, and there is an expectation that these will all be signed in the near future, as a trigger for renewed oil and gas activities in the Philippines,” the statement noted.
