Western Gas fails to find commercial hydrocarbons in Australian well

Australia’s Western Gas has failed to find commercial hydrocarbons in its long-awaited high-impact exploration well, Sasanof-1, located offshore Australia.

The Sasanof-1 exploration well is located in exploration permit WA-519-P, in Commonwealth waters approximately 207km northwest of Onslow Western Australia.

Western Gas is the operator of this prospect with a 52.5 per cent interest and its partners are Global Oil and Gas with a 25 per cent, Prominence Energy with a 12.5 per cent, and Clontarf Energy with a 10 per cent interest.

Following the arrival of the rig and its mobilisation to the well location, the well was spud in late May, using the Valaris MS-1. Drilling through the target reservoir section was expected to occur over the weekend.

As informed by Prominence Energy on Monday, the Sasanof-1 exploration well has been drilled to a total depth of 2390 m RMDT by the Valaris MS-1 rig without incident. However, no commercial hydrocarbons were intersected.

The well will now be plugged and permanently abandoned and de-mobilisation activities will begin.

Commenting on the news, Alex Parks, Managing Director of PRM stated: “We are obviously disappointed with the result of the well, but would like thank our shareholders for their support, and to commend Western Gas and all the service providers that have enabled the drilling of this well.”

As previously reported, ERCE estimated the Sasanof Prospect to contain a 2U Prospective Resource of 7.2 Tcf gas and 176 Million bbls condensate (P50), with a high case 3U Prospective Resource estimate of 17.8 Tcf gas and 449 Million bbls condensate (P10).