Beach Energy Provides Jan Drilling Report

Beach Energy Provides Jan Drilling Report

Beach Energy Limited has released the following monthly drilling report for January 2014.

Nappamerri Trough Natural Gas

The drilling campaign in the Nappamerri Trough in ATP 855 (Beach Energy 46.9% and operator, Icon Energy 35.1%, Chevron Exploration Australia 18%) continued in January 2014. Redland-1, a vertical exploration well, reached a total depth of 3,804 metres on 23 January 2014 and was cased and suspended in preparation for future evaluation, including hydraulic fracture stimulation of the target Toolachee and Daralingie Formations in Q3 2014. The Ensign 965 rig is currently moving to the Etty-1 location in ATP 855 which is 8.6 kilometres east of Halifax-1.

Cooper Basin Oil and Gas – Exploration and Development

In the gas development program in Queensland (Beach 23.2%, Santos 60.06% and operator, Origin Energy 16.5%, Australian Pacific LNG 0.24%), a three well drilling program in the Barrolka field re-commenced following the drilling in November and December 2013 of surface holes (approximately 880 metres depth) in Barrolka-11, 12 and 13. In January, a higher capacity rig was engaged to commence drilling the production hole in these wells. Barrolka-12 was cased and suspended as a Toolachee and Patchawarra Formation gas producer, while Barrolka-11 is drilling ahead in the Nappamerri Group. The final well in the programme, Barrolka-13, will also bere-entered from the surface hole.

In the South Australian Cooper Basin Joint Venture (SACB JV) (Beach 20.21%, Santos 66.6% and operator, Origin 13.19%) gas development program, the Moomba-202 vertical well, located on the south of the Moomba field, was cased and suspended as a Toolachee, Daralingie, Epsilon and Patchwarra Formation gas producer.

The five well Big Lake pad drilling program continued with the drilling of Big Lake-97 and Big Lake-98. Both wells were cased and suspended as future Toolachee, Daralingie, Epsilon, Patchawarra and Tirrawarra Formation gas producers. The fifth and final well on the Big Lake Pad, Big Lake-99, is currently drilling ahead at 890 metres.

Big Lake-100, on the northern sector of the field, is drilling ahead at approximately 1,500 metres in the Early Cretaceous. The primary gas objectives in this vertical well are the Toolachee, Daralingie, Epsilon, Patchawarra and Tirrawarra Formations, with the well located in the area of the field where the Tirrawarra Sandstone has good reservoir quality.

The Cooba-5 well was cased and suspended as a Toolachee, Epsilon, Patchawarra and Tirrawarra gas producer. The Narie-3 gas development well commenced drilling on 3 February with the primary gas objectives being the Patchawarra Formation and Tirrawarra Sandstone.

In the SACB JV unconventional gas exploration program, the Moomba-193 ST1 well is currently drilling ahead in the Epsilon Formation. The well was drilled to 2,920 metres and encountered mechanical problems near the top of the Murteree Shale, necessitating a side-track. The side-track commenced at 2,612 metres, with the plan to drill a 900 metre horizontal section in the Murteree Shale. This lateral will be fracture stimulated with micro-seismic monitoring undertaken from the vertical Moomba-192 well. The Moomba-192 vertical well and the Moomba-193 horizontal well are part of the Aurora Project focusing on the Roseneath Shale, Epsilon Formation, Murteree Shale and Patchawarra Formation.

Otway Basin – South Australia

The Jolly-1 vertical well in PEL 495 (Beach 70% and operator, Cooper Energy Ltd 30%) is the first well of a two well exploration program in the South Australian part of the Otway Basin. The well commenced drilling on 11 January 2014, with the program addressing the potential of shale and tight sandstone in the Lower Sawpit.

Shale and the Casterton Formation, which have potential for liquids rich gas in the Penola Trough. Jolly-1 drilled to 2,406 metres, at which point mechanical problems were encountered in the Upper Sawpit Shale necessitating a side-track. The side track well, Jolly-1 ST1, commenced on the 30 January, with the well drilling ahead in the Upper Sawpit Shale.

LNG World News Staff, February 05, 2014; Image: Beach Energy