PTT Exploration and Production PCL (PTTEP) will begin producing gas and condensate from its first gas project in Oman in October, four months later than planned, Thai Energy Minister Viset Choopibal said.

PTTEP will produce 50 million cubic feet (mcf) a day of gas and 4,000 barrels per day (bpd) of condensate, an ultra-light oil, from the Oman 44 block, the minister said in a statement after returning from a visit to the Middle East.
The output will increase to 100-120 mcf per day of gas and 10,000 bpd of oil in the future, Viset said. The project had been expected to start up in July, but the statement did not give a reason for the delay.
PTT PCL , a parent of PTTEP, would assist in handling production from the block for use in Thailand in late 2006, it added.
PTTEP is 65 per cent-owned by PTT and its subsidiary, PTTEP Oman, owns 100 per cent of the 44 block project.
PTTEP said in April it had won onshore exploration rights for a second block in Oman, allowing the company to explore Block 58 in southwest Oman, spanning an area of about 2,264 sq km (874 sq miles).
Viset said that PTTEP was also planning investments in Qatar, Egypt, Sudan and Morocco, but it gave no details.
PTTEP has more than 30 oil and gas exploration and development projects in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
It is looking to buy new gas and oil assets at home and abroad to increase reserves and capacity.
PTTEP also said it planned to spend $38 million on two phases of exploration in an onshore block in Oman over five years.
The investment on geological and geophysical studies, seismic surveys and drilling, was part of an exploration and production sharing agreement for Block 58 in southwest Oman, PTTEP president Maroot Mrigadat said in a statement.
“If the exploration of Block 58 proves as successful as Block 44, it will boost petroleum reserves,” Maroot said.
PTTEP had said in April it had won a bid for the rights to explore the block, covering an area of 2,265 sq km and initial studies had shown crude oil potential.