Santos plans Ashmore Cartier exploration drilling

The Santos Ltd.-SapuraOMV joint venture received approval from Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to begin preliminary survey work surrounding its proposed Stairway-1 wildcat location in Ashmore Cartier permit AC/P50 in the western sector of the Timor Sea.

The work program includes geophysical and hydrographic surveys to determine seabed and environmental conditions in the general area around the proposed well site.

The location is 650 km west of Darwin and about 200 km from the closest shoreline. AC/P50 adjoins Jadestone’s producing Montara group oil fields to the southwest.

Water depths are 80-100 m.

Survey work is expected to take place before end 2022 with the Stairway-1 wildcat to be drilled in 2023-2024 depending on rig availability.