Apache Changes Drilling Bit at Taunton Well (Australia)

Tap Oil Limited provides the following update of the Apache-operated Taunton-5/5H appraisal well at the Taunton oil field, offshore Australia:

During the period 0600 hours (AWST) on 24 May 2013 to 0600 (AWST) on 31 May 2013, the Taunton-5H horizontal 8½” (244mm) hole section was drilled to a depth of 3,058 metres along the borehole. Current operations are pulling out of hole to change the drilling bit.  The forward plan is to drill the horizontal hole section to total depth. Following this, the Taunton-5H well will be completed and tested.

The Taunton oil field was discovered in 1991 by the Taunton-1 well. The field is located in the TL/2 production license and extends to the south into the TP/7 exploration permit in the offshore Carnarvon Basin, approximately 40 kilometres north-northeast of Onslow. Taunton-5/5H is being drilled in shallow water as a deviated well in TL/2 to obtain core data through the Early Cretaceous reservoir section. Subsequent to this, a horizontal well will be drilled into TP/7 to evaluate potential hydrocarbon saturation and reservoir deliverability. Hydra will not participate in the well, taking Tap’s interest in the well to 13.015%.