Woodside sees Greater Laverda as oil giant

May 5, 2011
Woodside Petroleum Pty. Ltd., after finding new pay at the Laverda North-2 appraisal well in the Exmouth subbasin off Western Australia, said preliminary evaluation suggests the recoverable volume from the Greater Laverda area to be in excess of 100 million bbl of oil.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 5
– Woodside Petroleum Pty. Ltd., after finding new pay at the Laverda North-2 appraisal well in the Exmouth subbasin off Western Australia, said preliminary evaluation suggests the recoverable volume from the Greater Laverda area to be in excess of 100 million bbl of oil.

Laverda North-2 found an 18-m gross interval of new oil-bearing sands. Wireline sampling from the new zone recovered more than 20 l. of oil to surface. The well cut a 10-m gross interval of oil-bearing sands as expected in Laverda oil field, which Woodside discovered in 2000.

More work is needed to confirm the ultimate size of the accumulations. Appraisal drilling and analysis and further geological and reservoir modeling are to be conducted to refine this volume.

Laverda North-2 is a sidetrack from the Laverda North-1 appraisal well. It was drilled to a total depth of 2,300 m measured depth.

Greater Laverda is in WA-36-R about 10 km west of the Woodside-operated Enfield oil project. Woodside also has interest in the nearby Vincent and Stybarrow oil projects.

Woodside is the operator and 60% equity owner of WA-36-R. Mitsui E&P Australia Pty. Ltd. holds 40%.