Funan

Location

The Funan Oil and Gas Field is located in the Gulf of Thailand (GoT), which is a significant area for petroleum production in the country.

Operator

The field is currently operated by PTTEP Energy Development Co Ltd (PTTEP), which is a subsidiary of PTT Public Company Limited, Thailand's national oil and gas company.

History

• The field was one of the early discoveries in the Gulf of Thailand. Chevron, then operating as Union Oil Company (later Unocal Ltd. and subsequently Chevron Thailand Exploration & Production, Ltd.), played a significant role in the early exploration and development of the Gulf of Thailand, including the discovery of hydrocarbons in the area in 1973.
• While the exact date of the Funan field's discovery is not specified, it is part of the broader development of oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Thailand that began in the 1970s.

Production

• The Funan Oil and Gas Field is an active producing field, contributing to Thailand's oil and gas production. It is part of the larger petroleum system in the Gulf of Thailand, which includes several other fields such as Erawan, Satun, and Pladang.

Infrastructure

• The field is connected to the broader infrastructure developed in the Gulf of Thailand, including submarine pipelines and offshore platforms. For example, the Erawan field, which is nearby, is linked to a 425-km submarine pipeline project that was one of the longest in the world at the time of its construction.

Geology

• The Gulf of Thailand, where the Funan field is located, consists of Cenozoic sedimentary basins formed by normal faulting. The stratigraphy includes rock layers formed in the Late Miocene-Recent period, comprising mudstone interbedded with sandstone, shale, and coal, which are typical of fluvial and shallow marine depositions.

Current Status

• The Funan Oil and Gas Field is still in operation, managed by PTTEP. It continues to contribute to Thailand's domestic oil and gas production, which is predominantly sourced from the Gulf of Thailand.

Significance

• The Funan field, along with other fields in the Gulf of Thailand, is crucial for Thailand's energy security, as the Gulf of Thailand accounts for a significant portion of the country's total domestic oil and gas production.