Vintage Energy acquires onshore Bonaparte gas permit

Feb. 15, 2019
Vintage Energy has acquired 100% and operatorship of onshore Bonaparte basin permit EP 126 in the Northern Territory from Beach Energy. The 6,700-sq km permit stretches east from the border of Western Australia and Northern Territory to the Victoria River and contains the Cullen-1 wildcat drilled by Beach in 2014 that encountered strong natural gas shows in a thick fractured carbonate reservoir.

Vintage Energy Ltd., Adelaide, has acquired 100% and operatorship of onshore Bonaparte basin permit EP 126 in the Northern Territory from Beach Energy Ltd., also of Adelaide.

The 6,700-sq km permit stretches east from the border of Western Australia and Northern Territory to the Victoria River and contains the Cullen-1 wildcat drilled by Beach in 2014 that encountered strong natural gas shows in a thick fractured carbonate reservoir.

Cullen-1 was cased by Beach following its drilling program and is available for future testing.

Vintage Chairman Reg Nelson was managing director of Beach at the time of the Cullen project and is still keen to continue exploring the area.

The region also is known for a noncommercial gas discovery at Weaber (although this field has been excised from EP 126) as well as surface bitumen seeps and several other wells with oil and gas flows.

Vintage has undertaken initial evaluation work and has completed processing and modelling of EP 126 airborne geophysical data. This has been calibrated with data from Cullen-1.

The geophysical modelling results are being incorporated into a geological model for the area which, along with information from any future testing of Cullen-1, will guide the forthcoming exploration effort. Flow testing is planned to be the first ground activity to investigate the possibility of commercial gas flows from the well.

The existing gas pipeline from Eni SPA’s offshore Black Tip field to connect with the Northern Territory grid lies about 100 km north of Cullen-1

An environmental management plan has been submitted to the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries and Resources. The company is also working with the traditional landowners and other stakeholders.

Any encouragement in the test program is likely to lead to seismic acquisition and further drilling.