AWE Ltd. and Origin Energy Ltd. are studying the commercial feasibility of developing the Senecio tight gas accumulation in Australia’s northern Perth basin 250 km north of Perth.
Meanwhile, an AWE team is perusing 30 years of exploratory data to identify other tight gas intersections with development potential in the Perth basin.
Senecio lies just east of Dongara conventional gas field, which first produced in 1971. The Senecio-2 well was fracture stimulated over a 5-m perforated interval in the Dongara and Wagina tight sandstone formation in August 2012 and successfully flow-tested for more than 40 hr through the well test separator package in September 2012.
The well stabilized at the rate of 1.35 MMscfd and produced a total of 4.65 MMscf of gas and 65 bbl of crude oil and condensate during the flow period.
In its report for the quarter ended Dec. 31, AWE said analysis of pressure tests and other data captured since the frac job confirmed permeability of between .03-.06 md, within the prefrac estimated range.
The permeability and flow test data “demonstrates potentially commercial reservoir flow capacity,” AWE said. “The results of the pressure test, the flow test, and the Irwin 3D seismic program indicate that a horizontal, multistage, hydraulically fracture stimulated well at Senecio could be economically viable.”
The prospect of commercializing Senecio provides encouragement for development of the tight Corybas discovery just north of Senecio and the High Cliff discovery in the Arrowsmith-2 well south of Senecio between Dongara and Woodada fields, AWE added.
Five shale gas and tight gas zones were hydraulically fracture stimulated at the Arrowsmith-2 well in July-September 2012, and hydrocarbons flowed from all five zones. The Kockatea shale interval flowed back oil and gas in September 2012.
