Statoil Australia Theta BV has successfully drilled and cased the OzAlpha-1 well in exploration permit 104 in the Southern Georgina basin of Australia’s Northern Territory.
All open hole well evaluation activities have been completed and are now being analyzed. A total of 196 m of core were recovered in a continuous coring process, which penetrated the Lower Arthur Creek and Thorntonia formations.
However, partner PetroFrontier Corp. specified that it’s too early to tell if the well will be selected for completion and testing, as that decision has to consider the continuing evaluation work and the results of future wells not yet drilled.
PetroFrontier previously reported encouraging oil and gas indications at EP 104 and two other horizontal wells in southern Georgina (OGJ Online, Sept. 5, 2012). A 2D proprietary seismic program consisting of 385 line-km on exploration permits 103, 104, 127, and 128 was commenced in July 2013 (OGJ Online, July 22, 2013).
Operator Statoil plans to drill as many as five wells and complete and test as many as three wells this year.
The company has moved the rig to the former Owen-3H location to abandon that well in accordance with Australian regulations. The rig will subsequently be moved to OzBeta-1, the second well location of the five-well program, in EP 127.
PetroFrontier holds 100% interest in EP 103/104 and EPA 213/252, and 75% in EP 127-128 (OGJ Online, June 12, 2013).