Santos lets rig contract for Bedout subbasin exploration campaign
Key Highlights
- Santos let a drilling contract for Bedout sub-basin, offshore North West Shelf Australia.
- The contract is for one firm well and one contingent well.
- The campaign is expected to start April 2027.
Santos Ltd. has let a contract for the Transocean Equinox semisubmersible mobile offshore drilling unit for a multi-well campaign at Bedout subbasin exploration permits offshore North West Shelf Australia, said partner Carnarvon Energy Ltd. in a June 1 release.
The objective of the 2027 Bedout exploration campaign is to define the scale of the subbasin’s resource potential and target some of the largest prospects in the exploration portfolio. Shortlisted prospects include Ara, Yuma, Goats Eye, and Hutton, which are all defined on the Bedout MegaMerge 3D seismic survey.
The Bedout exploration campaign is on track to start begin in April 2027, with one firm well and one contingent well.
The Transocean Equinox is currently engaged in a multi-well exploration drilling campaign off the coast of Victoria, which is expected to be completed by early 2027.
Bedout basin is proposed to be an integrated gas and liquids project. To date, five fields have been discovered. Net 2C contingent resource of 230 MMboe is booked as of Dec. 31, 2024.
Santos is operator at Bedout. Carnarvon holds 20% interest in Yuma, Goats Eye, and Hutton, and 10% interest in Ara.