Crude Marketing

Oil tanker leaving Kumul Marine Terminal

Kutubu Blend

Overview

Kutubu Blend is produced in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Production is sourced from three developments: Kutubu, Gobe and Moran. The combined production from these fields averaged approximately 50,000 bopd in 2007. The oil produced from each field is very similar in quality and is well-suited for the production of transportation fuels especially motor gasoline. Field production is transported by pipeline to the Kumul marine terminal for export. The standard cargo size is 650,000 barrels. Pricing is typically based off APPI (Asian Petroleum Price Index) Tapis quotes.

Logistics

The terminal is located 40 km off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea (latitude 08°06'00" and longitude 144°33'49"E).

Transport

Kutubu Blend is transported from the onshore field storage tanks to the Kumul marine export terminal via a 270 km pipeline.

Offtake tankers berth at a single point mooring (SPM) located 2 km from the marine terminal. Tankers ranging from 60,000 to 150,000 DWT can normally be accommodated. Draft is restricted to 17.1m. Tankers require a derrick or crane with a 15-tonne safe working load (SWL) capacity to connect the 12-inch floating loading-hose. The standard parcel size is 650,000 barrels. Cargoes as small as 300,000 barrels can be loaded. The nominal loading rate is 200,000 barrels per day and it typically takes 3 to 3.5 days to load a standard cargo.

Refining Characteristics

Naphtha

Naphtha (15°C-140°C / 59°F-284°F) yield is about 34 vol%. The light straight run fraction to 70°C / 158°F contains a high proportion of iso-paraffins and is suitable for direct blending to gasoline. The heavier naphtha makes excellent reformer feedstock with N+2A values in excess of 70.

Middle Distillates

Over 45 vol% of Kutubu Light can be recovered as straight-run distillates. These stocks are extremely low in sulphur and possess good cold test properties.

Residues

Atmospheric residuum (360°C+ / 680°F+) is low in metals, asphaltenes, carbon residue, sulphur, nitrogen, and other contaminants. It is suitable as low-sulphur, low-viscosity fuel oil. Alternatively, it can be cracked (FCC/RCC) to increase the yield of transportation fuels. Vacuum residuum (540°C+ / 1004°F+) yield is only 2.3 vol%.

Whole Crude Properties*

Property	Measured
Gravity, API°	45.1
Gravity SG	0.8014
Sulphur, wt%	0.04
Total Nitrogen, ppm	357
Hydrogen, wt%	13.9
Acid Number, mg KOH/g	0.03
Pour Point, °F / °C	30 / -1
Charact. Factor (K-FACTOR)	12.2
Viscosity, cSt at 40°C (104°F)	2
Viscosity, cSt at 50°C (122°F)	1.59
Vanadium, ppm
Nickel, ppm
MCR, wt%	0.6
Ramsbottom Carbon, wt%	0.4
Asphaltenes, (H.C7) wt%

* Disclaimer
While Oil Search believes that this assay is representative of the expected commercial crude, it does not guarantee production quality, and users are solely responsible for their use of the assay. No warranties are given regarding the assay accuracy or any results from its use. Oil Search does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the foregoing opinion, information or data in this site in terms of their correctness, accuracy, results, use, quality, reliability, or otherwise.

Kutubu Blend Assay Data

The following links provide you with assay data tables for various properties across a standard set of cuts, as well as a distillation summary in °F and °C.

Assay (PDF, 119kb)
Assay (Excel, 32kb)

Contact Us

For further information on Kutubu Blend and any other Oil Search equity production please contact us.

Crude Marketing Manager
Level 27, Angel Place
123 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
marketing@oilsearch.com
Telephone: (61-2) 8207 8400
Facsimile: (61-2) 8207 8500