Tamboran Resources’ contracted drilling rig from Helmerich & Payne has arrived in Darwin from the US and is expected to begin drilling in Tamboran’s Beetaloo basin permits in July.
The rig, the most powerful in Australia at present, incorporates modern US drilling technology and is capable of drilling horizontal sections over 3,000 m within the deeper targets of the Mid Velkerri B Shale reservoir, exposing more reservoir section to development and providing potential to recover more resources per well and reduce well costs, the company said.
The rig’s arrival coincides with an announcement by the Northern Territory Government that clears the way for hydraulic fracturing in the basin.
Tamboran has interests in permits EP 161, EP 98, EP 117, and EP 76 and has been successful finding gas resources in its Amungee, Kalala, Shenandoah, and Velkerri wells.
The new drilling program will begin the next stage of its Beetaloo program. It expects to start producing about 20 terajoules/day of gas in 2024.
It also plans to apply for a production license from the NT government along with new agreements with local indigenous landowners with the aim of expanding production to 100 terajoules/day.