By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 24 -- BHP Billiton Ltd., Houston-based independent Apache Corp., and Japanese oil firm Inpex Corp. made an oil and natural gas discovery with exploration well Ravensworth-1, which was drilled in BHP-operated WA-155-P(1) permit area in Exmouth basin off Western Australia.
The well reached 1,432 m MD and encountered a gross oil column of 37 m and a gross gas column of 7 m with 43.5 m of net pay in the Lower Barrow Group sandstone reservoir, BHP said. The well was drilled 45 km north-northwest of Exmouth in 209 m of water. Drilling on Ravensworth-1 began July 15 using Transocean Inc.'s semisubmersible drilling rig Sedco 703.
Well operator BHP holds 39.999% interest, Apache holds 31.501%, and Inpex holds the remaining 28.5%.
"The significance of the well will be assessed following further evaluation of drilling results and acquisition of core across the hydrocarbon column in a sidetrack well at the conclusion of wireline logging operations," BHP noted.
Mike Ollis, Australia operated asset team leader, said Ravensworth-1 is in an area where there have been a number of recent discoveries made by the industry.
"This result would translate into a small to medium oil accumulation," Ollis said. Ravensworth-1 is about 10 km southeast of Woodside Petroleum Ltd.'s Vincent oil and gas discovery, he said, adding that the discovery lies "in the potentially important and emerging oil province of the Exmouth sub-basin of the Carnarvon basin."
Earlier this year, BHP Billiton, as operator of neighboring WA-255-P, discovered Stybarrow oil field 55 km northwest of Exmouth, Ollis said.
"This is the most important well we've drilled in Australia this year," said Apache CEO and Pres. G. Steven Farris. "It opens a new play for Apache in an oil-prone area south of our existing operations in the Carnarvon basin and adds a new dimension to our exploration program offshore Western Australia."
Apache said the companies are currently evaluating the timing and location of an appraisal well.