Tap Oil Limited provided the following update of the Bianchi-1 gas appraisal well in Retention Lease WA-49-R. The well will target sandstones in a Triassic age Mungaroo Formation within a separate fault block down dip of the Zola-1/ST1 gas discovery.
Location and Proposed Depth
The Bianchi prospect is located in the WA-49-R retention lease in the offshore Carnarvon Basin, approximately 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) north-northeast of the Zola-1/ST1 gas discovery and 12.9 miles (20.8 kilometers) south-southwest of the Gorgon-1 gas discovery well.
The Bianchi fault block is one of a series of adjacent structures that form the greater Zola area. The prospect was matured following interpretation of the Cambozola 3D seismic survey in 2012.
The well will be drilled as a vertical well in a water depth of 787 feet (240 meters) and is expected to take 80 days (trouble free) to drill to a projected total depth of 17,060 feet (5,200 meters). Tap’s cost for the well is expected to be approximately $7.6 million (AUD 8 million).
Progress
During the period from 0600 hours (AWST) June 11 to 0600 hours (AWST) June 18, drilling operations for the 8.5 inch (216 millimeter) section continued. The well was drilled to a depth of 16,535 feet (5,040 meters).
Forward Plan
Current operation is tripping out of the hole for a drill bit change. The forward plan is to continue drilling the 8.5 inch (216 millimeter) hole to a final total depth of 17,060 feet (5,200 meters).
