AWE Spuds Waitsia-1 Gas Well in Perth Basin

AWE Limited on Friday announced spudding of Waitsia-1 appraisal in the Perth basin, Western Australia.

The Waitsia-1 well will be drilled vertically to a planned total depth of 13,287 feet and is forecast to take approximately six weeks to complete. The well is designed to further test the gas potential of the Waitsia field, comprising primary targets in the deep conventional formations in the Kingia and High Cliff Sandstones.

AWE is the operator of permits L1/L2 and owns 50 percent interest while Origin Energy Resources Limited holds the remaining 50 percent stake.

If the results are positive, AWE may undertake a flow test of the Waitsia-1 well and the well may be completed as a production well for a potential future field development. The approved work program for the Waitsia-1 appraisal well does not include hydraulic fracture stimulation.

The well is the second of a three well drilling program planned for the Perth Basin in 2015. It will be followed by the Waitsia-2 appraisal well in the second half of the 2015 calendar year.

The Waitsia discovery was announced on Sept. 2, 2014 while drilling the Senecio-3 well and has the potential to be the largest onshore conventional gas discovery in Western Australia in the last 50 years, according to AWE.

Initial estimates for the Waitsia gas field comprise gross 2C Contingent Resources of 290 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in the Kingia/High Cliff Sandstone formations.