Quadrant Energy has set and cemented a liner at around 5,205 meters and is continuing towards the primary target of the Phoenix South-3 well off Australia.
Quadrant is the operator of the Phoenix project off Western Australia with an 80% interest and Carnarvon Petroleum is its partner with the remaining 20% interest.
The Transocean-owned GSF Development Driller-1 semi-submersible rig arrived on the well site in early April and the well was spud later that month.
Carnarvon said on Friday that the 7-5/8” liner was set and that the GSF Development Driller-1 semi-submersible rig was drilling ahead at approximately 5,210 meters MD.
The company added that the drilling would continue to a depth of approximately 5,500 meters MD. The primary Caley Member is anticipated to be encountered in this section of the well.
The previously drilled Phoenix South-2 well was unable to fully evaluate the Caley Member due to high pressures encountered in that well. The Phoenix South-3 well plan and its associated procedures employ controlled drilling operations before and during the drilling of the reservoir section. As a consequence, drilling progress will be slower than that previously experienced in the other wells in the Phoenix project.
The primary objective for the Phoenix South-3 well is to evaluate the gas and condensate potential of the Caley Member within a large, faulted anti-clinal closure that was partially penetrated with the Phoenix South-2 well.
Phoenix South-2 encountered gas and condensate in the Caley Member but was unable to drill through and evaluate the formation. The Phoenix South-3 well has been designed to penetrate and evaluate the hydrocarbon-bearing formations of the Caley Member.
Phoenix South-3 is located around 560 meters north-northeast of the Phoenix South-2 well. The well will target a closure that is estimated by Carnarvon to contain a gross mean recoverable prospective resource of 489 Bscf of gas and 57 million barrels of associated condensate (being 143 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), gross, Pmean).