Shale call: in Western Australia
Norwest watches AWE shale foray
Australia’s Norwest Energy said it was well-placed from any discovery resulting from AWE’s move into shale gas exploration in the onshore Perth basin.
AWE said earlier this week that it would target the Kockatea and Carynginia shales and the Irwin River coal measures on its acreage in the basin, which could include shale deposits up to 300 metres thick.
The new initiative follows a recent announcement by New Standard Energy that it would pursue shale gas in the Canning basin, also in Western Australia amid surging interest in shale gas worldwide.
Explorers are increasingly targeting gas in low permeability shales that is released by new techniques to artificially fracture rocks using hydraulic pressure.
The Perth basin is better placed to supply local markets than the remote Canning basin.
Norwest said in a statement that it holds a 55.6% stake in permit EP 413, which AWE is targeting as part of its shale venture.
Norwest said it also holds other permits in the Perth basin with shale gas potential to a net acreage of 1523 square kilometres.
AWE said it was current drilling a core hole on the Woodada licence south of EP413 to evaluate shale gas potential.