JV partner Drillsearch Energy has reported that the Western Wet Gas Fairway exploration drilling program continues with the spudding of Admella-1 at 1900 on 4 January 2012. Drillsearch holds a 50% interest in PEL 106B and Beach Energy as Operator holds 50%. Admella-1 is the second well in a four-well exploration drilling program in PEL 106B.

The Admella-1 wet gas exploration well is located approx. 3km north of the Brownlow-1 Wet Gas Field and its primary targets are structural-stratigraphic traps in the Patchawarra Formation in close proximity to the existing PEL 106B wet gas discoveries. The Toolachee Formation and Tirrawarra Sandstone are considered secondary targets. Drilling will be to a total depth of 2,951mRT and it is expected that the drilling will take 14-18 days.

In PEL 106 and within the Patchawarra section and confined within shales, coals up to 9m thick have been intersected. The Joint Venture has agreed to cut up to 30m of full core in the Admella-1 well in order to target potential unconventional reservoir sequences. Once recovered, these cores will be desorption tested and analysed for overall gas contents to assess the overall prospectivity of these intervals as potential unconventional reservoir targets.

The location of Admella-1 was selected by using the Spinel 3D seismic survey data acquired in 2007 and Admella-1 is estimated to have P10 High-side Gross Recoverable Prospective Resource potential of up to 19.6 BCF raw gas.

Admella-1 will be drilled as a conventional vertical well with wireline logging and possible testing planned after the well reaches total depth. The primary target zone in the Patchawarra Formation is expected to be penetrated ten days after spud.

Tags: Beach Energy