Timor-Leste's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MPRM) has selected TDI-Brooks, in partnership with Taka Hydrocore Indonesia (THI), to carry out a light geotechnical and environmental baseline survey program in the country's waters.
TDI-Brooks’ DP2 research vessel Nautilus will be deployed for the program that will provide data to support the routing of the gas export pipeline from the Greater Sunrise field to Natarbora on the south coast, as well as the Bayu-Undan Pipeline Highway to Natarbora, as part of the planned TLNG development.
According to the U.S.-headquartered firm, the survey will deliver critical geotechnical data to support pipeline routing, engineering design, and geohazard assessment for offshore development activities.
The geotechnical scope will include approximately 508 seabed tests, consisting of gravity CPTs (gCPT), piston cores , box cores, and cyclic T-bar measurements, while the environmental baseline study will cover 16 provisional stations, including the collection of 40 sediment samples and 40 water samples.
Field operations are expected to start in mid-January 2027.
Fugro has also been appointed to deliver surveys for the two gas developments.
Bayu-Undan is a gas-condensate field located 250 kilometers south of East Timor, within Timor-Leste’s maritime exclusive jurisdiction. It commenced production in 2004, with the companies behind the project having secured a seventh extension of the term of the production sharing contract (PSC).
The Greater Sunrise development, located approximately 140 kilometers south of Timor-Leste, comprises the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields. Discovered in 1974, the complex holds resources of 5.1 trillion cubic feet of gas and 226 million barrels of condensate. The project is expected to start producing natural gas by 2028-2030. Partners in the project are TIMOR GAP with 56.56%, Woodside Energy with 33.44% and Osaka Gas with 10%.