Highlights

• Canning Basin exploration drilling campaign set to commence in June targeting a total 97 million barrels of conventional oil (mean prospective resources)
• Drilling program will also include a development well at the Ungani Oilfield
• Drilling rig contract discussions well advanced
• Environmental approvals received for the drilling of the wells
• Terrex selected as the seismic acquisition contractor 

Background

Buru Energy Limited (Buru Energy) is kicking off a major Canning Basin operations program this year that will include three wells and a regional and prospect oriented seismic program. This is the most wide-ranging exploration program in the Canning Basin for many years and under the terms of the farmin agreements executed in December last year, Buru will be carried for $16 million of the cost of the drilling of the two exploration wells in the program, in addition to a further significant seismic program carry across several Buru operated permits.

Drilling program

The drilling program includes exploration wells on two large conventional oil prospects, with details of these set out below. It will also include a development well on the Ungani Oilfield (Ungani 8) in what is interpreted to be an undrained part of the field.

The drilling program will use a high capacity rig that has recently been drilling deep and complex wells in other Australian basins. Negotiations for the rig contract are continuing and further details will be provided in due course.

The Kurrajong 1 exploration well is currently planned to be the first well in the drilling program, followed by the Ungani 8 development well and then the Rafael 1 exploration well. This well order provides maximum operational efficiency with the program planned to commence in early to mid June.

Access approvals for the program are in place, with the WA regulatory authorities recently providing environmental approvals, and routine operational approvals are being obtained as required.

Kurrajong 1

The Kurrajong 1 exploration well is being drilled on a large structure that is well defined by 3D seismic surveying. It is expected to have similar good quality reservoir to the Ungani Oilfield and is at similar depths, with the total depth of the well expected to be some 2,500 metres.

The Prospective Resources of the Kurrajong prospect are set out below. The Prospective Resources are located on Exploration Permit 391 with Buru holding a 50% interest in that permit and in the following 

The Rafael 1 well is being drilled on a large structure that is well defined by a modern 2D seismic grid. It has over 450 metres of mapped closure and is a large regional structure that is interpreted to have similarities to Devonian aged carbonate structures in Western Canada that are very large and prolific oil producers. The total depth of the well is excepted to be some 3,800 metres. The Prospective Resources of the Rafael prospect are set out below. The Prospective Resources are located on Exploration Permit 428 with Buru holding a 50% interest in that permit and in the following Prospective Resources:

Rafael 1

Seismic survey program

Terrex Pty Ltd (Terrex) have been selected as the preferred contractor for the seismic acquisition program and the contract is expected to be awarded in the coming weeks. The seismic program is being acquired with efficient state of the art nodal systems that have minimal environmental impact. A total of some 1,200 kilometers of surveys are planned, and the program should take some 50 days to acquire.

The Celestine 2D survey across the EP 457 and EP 458 area is planned as the first and largest part of the program to further define a new geological concept that has the potential for large conventional oil accumulations.

Buru’s Executive Chairman Eric Streitberg commented:
“Our exploration program is on track, with a lot of hard work and attention to detail paying off. We are planning to use a large rig run by an experienced contractor and have put in place a very experienced drilling team to run the program. We are drilling two of the largest onshore oil exploration targets in the country at a time of rising oil prices and critical domestic oil production declines.

In parallel with the drilling program we will be acquiring a major seismic program that will help us fill our prospect inventory and set us up for a continued drilling program next year. This is the largest and most exciting exploration program in the Canning Basin for many years and we are very keen to get started.”

KeyFacts Energy:   Buru Energy Australia country profile