Transocean rig set to kick off gas drilling ops mid-October offshore Australia

August 26, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

ConocoPhillips Australia (COPA), a subsidiary of the U.S.-headquartered energy giant ConocoPhillips, has modified its timeline for the start of a two-well gas exploration campaign in the Otway Basin, which will be undertaken with one of Transocean’s rigs off the coast of Australia.

Transocean Equinox, former Songa Equinox; Credit: ALP Maritime

With seabed surveys and the announcement of possible 2025 drilling locations in VIC/P79 out of the way, ConocoPhillips Australia revealed a drilling schedule based on which the Transocean Equinox rig was slated to spud the first well in September 2025, subject to weather and operational conditions.

However, there has been a change in the firm’s plans regarding the start-up of drilling activities to search for natural gas in the Otway basin to supply the domestic market. Before the arrival of the rig, anchors and mooring chains will be deployed by a vessel at Essington-1 in September 2025 and at Charlemont-1 between September and November 2025.

Once in position, these anchors and mooring chains will be marked with a surface buoy and navigation light. Afterward, the Transocean Equinox rig and support vessels are expected to transit to the Essington-1 well in October 2025, ahead of drilling the first well mid-month.

Afterward, the rig will move to Charlemont-1 later in the year, with drilling operations expected to kick off between November and December 2025. The anchors and mooring chains will remain in position during drilling activities and will be collected within three months of activity completion at each well.

“We are exploring the Otway Basin for natural gas to supply the domestic market and support Australia’s current and future energy needs, ensuring reliable power generation, industrial processes, and residential heating,” highlighted ConocoPhillips.

This company is part of an industry consortium that has contracted the Transocean Equinox mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU), following the approval of the Otway Exploration Drilling Program (OEDP) off the coast of Victoria and Tasmania, which covers two permits, VIC/P79 and T/49P, within Commonwealth waters, adjacent to existing natural gas developments in the Otway Basin.

The rig will drill two wells in the basin before the end of the year. The first of these wells is situated approximately 55 kilometers offshore from Port Campbell. Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) recently became the latest partner in the Otway gas hunt.