Esso, BHP find oil, gas with Remora-1 off Victoria
Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent
MELBOURNE, Apr. 26 -- Esso Australia Resources and BHP Billiton Petroleum reported an oil and gas discovery with their South East Remora-1 wildcat drilled in the Gippsland basin about 35 km off Victoria in Bass Strait.
South East Remora-1 was drilled with the Ocean Patriot semisubmersible rig in 57 m of water. Total depth was 3,602 m subsea. The find was made in the Tertiary-age Latrobe and Golden Beach reservoirs.
However the companies are in no rush as the evaluation of formation fluids and pressure analysis is expected to take several months, they said.
The well lies close to the existing Marlin A platform, one of the original producing fields in Bass Strait. The well is included in the Gippsland basin equal joint venture between Esso (operator) and BHP.
The 50-50 JV is likely to drill follow-up wells on other small structures in the area.