Italian energy major Eni has officially commenced gas production from the Merakes East field, a significant offshore development located in Indonesia’s Kutei basin.
The field, situated within the East Sepinggan block at a water depth of 1,600 metres and approximately 10 kilometres east of the existing Merakes Field, marks a key milestone in Eni’s regional growth strategy.
Eni holds an 85 per cent operating interest in Merakes East, which is expected to deliver up to 100 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) of gas — equivalent to roughly 18,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Production is achieved via a subsea system connected to the Jangkrik floating production unit (FPU), located about 50 kilometres away and also operated by Eni.
After initial processing on the Jangkrik FPU, the gas will be transported through a pipeline network to meet Indonesia’s domestic energy demand and to supply the Bontang liquefaction plant.
The Bontang facility plays a dual role, serving both the internal market and exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to international buyers.
The Merakes East start-up aligns with Eni’s broader strategy to capitalise on the Kutei Basin’s substantial gas reserves.
The company’s close collaboration with SKK Migas, Indonesia’s upstream regulator and supervisor, has been instrumental in reaching this production milestone.
This latest development complements Eni’s ongoing projects in the region, including the Maha field development and the recently approved Northern Hub and Gendalo-Gendang field plans.
These initiatives underscore Eni’s commitment to enhancing local content, optimising the Bontang LNG plant’s capacity, and securing additional gas volumes for Indonesia’s domestic market.
Looking ahead, Eni is engaged in discussions with Malaysian energy giant Petronas to establish a joint venture holding company.
The proposed JV would oversee selected upstream assets in Indonesia and Malaysia, consolidating approximately three billion barrels of oil equivalent (bboe) of reserves and unlocking an additional 10 bboe of exploration potential.
The Merakes East start-up follows Eni’s recent oil discovery at the Capricornus 1-X well in Namibia’s Orange basin, further highlighting the company’s strong momentum in global exploration and production.
