Jadestone Energy announces an update on the testing of the Skua-11ST development well at the Montara field offshore Australia.

Consistent with previous disclosures, production from the Skua-11ST well commenced in early August 2025. Initial oil production rates from the well exceeded 6,000 bbls/d, significantly ahead of previous guidance of 3,500 bbls/d, with oil production rates subsequently stabilizing at 4,400 bbls/d on a 40% open choke prior to restart of the Montara field’s other subsea wells. 

Skua-11ST was completed with downhole inflow control devices, which are designed to maximize reservoir sweep and recovery from the well. Skua-11ST, along with the other Montara wells, will be managed in the longer-term to maximise overall recovery from the Montara field.

T. Mitch Little, Chief Executive Officer of Jadestone, commented:
“We are pleased to report the strong initial flows from the Skua-11ST well, which will meaningfully contribute to higher production from Montara, underpinning our revised 2025 production guidance which was upgraded in July. The increase in production will also reduce Montara unit operating costs and extend field life by approximately one year.”

Montara

Jadestone is the 100% owner and operator of the producing Montara Project, located in production licences AC/L7 and AC/L8 in the Timor Sea, approximately 630 kilometres offshore Western Australia, in a water depth of 77 meters. The Montara fields are situated in the prolific Vulcan Sub-basin.

Montara operations involve the production of oil using platform production wells for the Montara field and subsea wells for the Swift, Skua and Swallow fields. The oil from the subsea wells is piped via subsea flowlines to an unmanned wellhead platform and then to the Montara Venture owned floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, which acts as a hub for the Montara fields, and potentially other stranded discoveries in the region.

Producing sandstone formations include the prolific Plover, Montara and Lower Vulcan reservoirs. All producing formations have high permeability (0.5 – 4 Darcy) and high porosity (18 – 24 per cent).

In 2024, gross production from the Montara Project averaged 5,262 bbls/d. As at 31 December 2024, the Montara Project fields were estimated to contain gross 2P reserves of 11.5 mmbbls.

Within the AC/L7 and AC/L8 licences and surrounding acreage, there are existing oil and gas discoveries which are not economic on a standalone basis. Currently, the Montara Project contains the only infrastructure in the area through which these discoveries could realistically be produced. Jadestone may, in the future, explore opportunities to monetise these assets which may be through acquisition, farm-in, divestment and/or third party tariff arrangements, as well as subject to pricing, technology and third-party activities.

The nearby Shell-operated Crux gas field, which is located approximately 30 km south of the Montara Project, is being developed as long-term backfill for the Prelude floating LNG facility located offshore Western Australia. The Crux field infrastructure could represent a viable export option for the significant undeveloped gas resource within the Montara licences.

KeyFacts Energy: Jadestone Energy Australia country profile