Kina Petroleum Ltd. (KPL) spuds the Kwila-1 exploration well in PPL 337 in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The well was spud at 12.05 am local time June 23.

Kwila-1 is operated by Heritage Oil Ltd. under a farmout agreement between Heritage Oil and KPL, whereby Heritage will carry KPL through the drilling and, if appropriate, testing of 2 wells. The first of those wells, Raintree-1, has been drilled. KPL will retain a 30 percent participating interest in the License upon completion of drilling, and in the event of a discovery will benefit from a carry through a seismic program to appraise the field.

Kwila-1 is designed to test Plio-Pleistocene sands some of which were gas bearing in the shallow section of Raintree-1 and will be drilled to a depth of around 0.62 mile (1 kilometer). Drilling time is expected to be around 2 weeks.

Kwila-1 will be using the Schramm 200 rig that drilled the Raintree-1 well.

Kina Petroleum’s Managing Director, Richard Schroder, commented,“We look forward to the drilling at Kwila-1 which will test a trap with an associated seismic anomaly which Kina believes is within a sandstone body on the northern flank of the Banam Anticline, which remains the largest untested geological feature in PNG.

Tags: Kina Petroleum Limited