ConocoPhillips has started drilling on the third well in its Barossa area exploration campaign, Barossa-4, in the Bonaparte basin, offshore Australia's Northern Territory.
The latest well follows the Barossa-3 appraisal well, spudded in mid-October last year, about 300km north of Darwin, 9km from the Barossa-1ST1 discovery well and 14km from the successful Barossa-2 appraisal well.
Barossa-3, drilled using the Nanhai VI semisubmersible drilling rig (pictured), operated by Maersk Drilling, intersected a 152m gross gas bearing interval. Wireline logging confirmed 104m of net pay over the Jurassic-aged Elang Formation sands between 4032 and 4184m measured depth relative to the rotary table (MDRT), says partner Santos.
"The result at Barossa-3 provides significant upside to the resource position for the Barossa gas field and demonstrates the presence of high permeability sands over an extensive area of the field," said Santos today (23 January). "The Barossa-3 result strengthens Santos’ resource position in the Bonaparte Basin and means the Barossa gas field is well positioned to supply gas for either backfill or expansion at Darwin LNG."
The Barossa-2 appraisal well intersected 88m of net pay across a 217m gross interval in mid-2014.
The Barossa appraisal drilling campaign is being funded by joint venture partner, SK E&S, up to a US$260 million cap. Santos holds a 25% interest in the Barossa-Calditajoint venture along with partners ConocoPhillips (37.5% and operator) and SK E&S (37.5%).
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