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Sunday, 20 July, 2008, 22:20 GMT | more prices >>

3D set to probe West Seahorse



By Upstream staff 

Australian-listed 3D Oil said it will spud the West Seahorse-3 appraisal well later this week in permit VIC/P57 that lies in the Bass Strait’s Gippsland basin and is about five kilometres to the west of the producing Seahorse field.

The well will be drilled by the West Triton jack-up rig, and will be followed by an exploration well, Wardie-1, from the same surface site to reduce rig moving costs.

The West Seahorse-1 discovery well was drilled in 1981 by Hudbay Oil Australia and intersected three separate oil accumulations with a potential fourth sand left untested. The uppermost zone, within the top of Latrobe Group, flowed 1800 barrels of oil per day. The current interpretation of the West Seahorse field shows it to be substantially larger than interpreted by previous operators, 3D said in a statement.

The company added that the West Seahorse-2 well appears to lie on the edge of the field, suggesting that larger hydrocarbon intersections maybe unveiled higher on the structure.

The neighbouring Seahorse field has produced oil since the early 1990s through a subsea completion tied back to the Barracouta platform.

A recent work-over of the Seahorse-1 well in 2005 resulted in the well’s return to production at 4000 bopd after a period of declining production.

The VIC/P57 permit, which 3D owns 100% and operates, is flanked to the south by several oil and gas fields, including the Barracouta and Snapper gas fields as well as the smaller Golden Beach, Mulloway/Whiptail, Seahorse, Wirrah, Whiting, Emperor and Sweetlips fields.

Four recent wells have uncovered hydrocarbons in areas next to the permit, said 3D.

Assuming successful delineation drilling, the West Seahorse field will be developed on either a stand alone basis or the company will consider an offshore tie-back to third party facilities.

On a stand alone basis the development will consist of an unmanned monotower producing from a single well with the potential for add-on including Wardie-1.


Tuesday, 22 April, 2008, 04:03 GMT  | last updated: Tuesday, 22 April, 2008, 04:08 GMT

Building momentum: 3D Oil is set to move forward at the West Seahorse field in the Bass Strait (above)
 

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