AWE makes gas discovery with Senecio well in Western Australia

Sept. 2, 2014
AWE Ltd., Sydney, has made what it is calling a significant gas reservoir discovery below the original target with its Senecio exploration well drilled in the onshore Perth basin of Western Australia.

AWE Ltd., Sydney, has made what it is calling a significant gas reservoir discovery below the original target with its Senecio exploration well drilled in the onshore Perth basin of Western Australia.

The Senecio-3 appraisal well was drilled to a total depth of 3,370 m after intersecting the main Dongara-Wagina formation reservoir and encountering elevated gas shows. Multiple hydrocarbon-bearing formations were found throughout the well.

Wireline logs and pressure tests identified a potentially larger volume of gas in the lower secondary targets than the primary reservoir.

As a result, AWE says contingent resources in the Dongara-Wagina have been upgraded to around 70 bcf of gas. More analysis will be required to estimate the resource in the lower reservoirs.

Nevertheless the discovery adds considerable momentum to the near-term development potential of the Senecio field and other nearby prospects in the north Perth basin.

Gas production tied in to the AWE-operated Dongara gas plant 7 km to the east is the logical development step.

AWE plans to drill the Irwin-1 wildcat to the east of Senecio later this year.