Partners starting workover campaign to restore shut-in well at Australian oil field

ASX listed oil producer and explorer Triangle Energy has revealed that workover operations are starting with an aim to restore production from a well on the Cliff Head oil field located offshore Australia following last year’s shut-in due to a downhole electrical fault.

The Cliff Head Joint Venture (CHJV) is composed of Triangle Energy with a 78.75 per cent interest and Pilot Energy with the remaining 21.25 per cent interest.

The CH-10 well was shut in September 2021 after producing for nearly 12 years with the same electrical submersible pump (ESP) and significantly exceeding the field average of 4 years, Triangle Energy revealed on Thursday.

Now, the joint venture is starting the CH-10 workover to replace the failed ESP and increase hydrocarbon production from this well. Over the coming months, the CHJV will undertake a phased campaign to recover the failed ESP and replace it with a new ESP.

In addition, a deeper water producing reservoir will be isolated, with the aim to increase oil production. The phased approach to this workover optimises the utilisation of the Hydraulic Workover Unit and budget spending in alignment with long lead item delivery schedules, Triangle explained.

The CHJV expects the successful workover will produce an additional circa 130 barrels of oil per day (bopd) from CH-10 and see field production return to above 800 bopd.

Triangle Managing Director, Conrad Todd, said: “I am pleased to report to shareholders that The Cliff Head Joint Venture has commenced the CH-10 well workover. This will allow the CHJV to restore the production lost due to failure of the downhole pump and furthermore to increase production by shutting of water from a deeper reservoir.”

The Cliff Head oil field is located in the Perth Basin about 270 kilometres north of Perth and 12 kilometres off the coast of Dongara in Western Australia. It resides in the Production License WA-31-L, which covers 72km2, and the oil field covers 6km2 in the Commonwealth Exploration Permit WA-286-P.