Eni has commenced gas production from the Maha field in the Kutei Basin, offshore Indonesia, just 21 months after reaching a final investment decision (FID), marking another milestone in the development of the country’s offshore gas resources.

Located in the West Ganal block at a water depth of approximately 1,000 metres, Maha comprises two subsea production wells connected to the existing Jangkrik Floating Production Unit (FPU) through approximately 12 kilometres of flowlines.

Following initial processing onboard the FPU, the gas will be transported through the pipeline network to supply Indonesia’s domestic market and the Bontang liquefaction plant, which serves both domestic and international liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets.

The field has a production capacity of 250 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD), bringing combined output from the Jangkrik FPU and South Hub to a plateau of 750 MMSCFD.

Production is expected to increase further following the planned start-up and tie-in of the Gendalo & Gendang project to the Jangkrik FPU in 2028, extending the production plateau beyond the end of the decade.

Maha is operated by Searah, the independent upstream energy company established through a strategic partnership between Eni and PETRONAS. The development forms a key component of the South Hub project and the wider monetisation of Indonesia’s offshore gas resources.

The start-up follows the launch of production at Merakes East in May 2025 and comes after Eni announced final investment decisions in March 2026 for the North Hub (Geng North & Gehem) and South Hub (Gendalo & Gendang) developments.

Together, the projects form part of Eni’s strategy to accelerate the development of gas resources in the Kutei Basin, supporting Indonesia’s long-term energy security and LNG export capacity.

Eni said the achievement reflects cooperation among Searah, its shareholders and SKK Migas, Indonesia’s upstream oil and gas regulator.

Established in June 2026, Searah is equally owned by Eni and PETRONAS, with each holding a 50 per cent stake. Its portfolio comprises 19 gas-producing and development assets, including 14 in Indonesia and five in Malaysia.

The company currently produces approximately 350,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) and aims to exceed 500,000 boe/d in sustainable production by 2028.

Eni also operates the Peri-Mahakam and Makassar Strait production sharing contracts (PSCs), as well as the recently awarded Sapukala block. In October 2026, it signed two binding agreements to sell interests in selected Indonesian upstream assets operated by Searah to Pertamina and Medco. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service