Shale gas struck at Australia’s Beetaloo Basin
Australia
DARWIN, October 22, 2015 – The UK’s Falcon Oil & Gas announced plans Thursday to accelerate its horizontal drilling programme after encouraging results from its second exploratory well in Australia’s Beetaloo Basin.
A gross interval of more than 500 metres of shale gas was discovered with the Amungee NW-1 well, with net pay pegged at 150 metres. Falcon reports that data from this well and the previously drilled Kalala S-1 well included 36 metres of full-diameter core, 50 sidewall cores and wireline log data.
The success of the two Beetaloo wells has prompted the joint venture to move ahead with plans to drill a horizontal well in November 2015 instead of the end of 2016, as originally planned. The new well will target the 45-metre thick “B shale” of the Middle Velkerri formation.
According to Falcon, the Beetaloo Basin holds an estimated 2.7 billion barrels of oil and 2.11 tcm (74.5 tcf) of gas. Australia’s Origin Energy operates the EP 98 licence, in which the wells were drilled, with a 35-percent stake. South Africa’s Sasol also holds a 35-percent stake, and Falcon owns the remaining 30 percent.
For more news and features on Australia, click here.
More content from Australia
Latest news and features
