Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL), Papua New Guinea’s national petroleum and energy company, has successfully completed its seismic acquisition campaign across the Kimu and Barikewa petroleum retention licences, where it acts as operator.
KPHL Managing Director Wapu Sonk confirmed the milestone, stating:
“On Wednesday, 26th March, we completed the final shot point on a seismic line within the Kimu licence, and demobilisation of the seismic crew has commenced. This marks the successful conclusion of our seismic acquisition program across both PRLs.”
The objective of the seismic survey was twofold: firstly, to acquire additional geological data aimed at better defining the extent of known hydrocarbon accumulations, with the goal of increasing the certified volumes of recoverable oil and gas; and secondly, to identify optimal locations for potential delineation and exploration wells.
“This campaign represents the first upstream exploration work undertaken by Kumul Petroleum since our establishment in 2010,” Mr Sonk added. “It is a significant step forward for the company, and we are optimistic about the insights the data will provide as we move into the next phase of resource development.”
The six-month seismic campaign, carried out by contractor OilMin Holdings, involved the acquisition of six seismic lines and provided employment for 477 local workers from remote areas in the Gulf and Western Provinces. The nature of seismic line cutting — being highly labour-intensive — provided substantial short-term economic benefits to the local communities.
Mr Sonk emphasised that strong community engagement was a cornerstone of the program’s success.
“Kumul Petroleum and OilMin worked collaboratively with landowners and community leaders. Although our presence in each area was temporary, we made it a priority to contribute positively — including providing support to primary schools in Kaiam and Kumusi.”
He also praised the outstanding safety performance during operations, attributing it to the combined experience of OilMin and KPHL’s project teams.
“Kumul Petroleum is making significant investments in both offshore and onshore petroleum retention licences to delineate hydrocarbon resources and shape development concepts that are technically and economically viable,” Mr Sonk said.
The successful execution of this program reinforces KPHL’s growing role in upstream exploration and resource monetisation, particularly in licences previously deemed uneconomic or stranded.
Data from the seismic program is now being processed, with interpretation and integration into KPHL’s existing geological models expected to take approximately six months.
