Santos securing Australian well over potential cyclone threat

Australian energy giant Santos is securing its Pavo-1 exploration well, currently being drilled offshore Australia, and down-manning a Noble Corp.-owned rig being used to drill the well due to potential cyclone activity in the area.

Santos has been drilling the Pavo-1 well, located in permit WA-438-P, since early February 2022, using the Noble Tom Prosser jack-up rig. The permit is operated by Santos with a 70 per cent interest while Carnarvon holds the remaining 30 per cent interest.

Since then, the rig has drilled the 12 ¼” hole down to a depth of approximately 2,875 metres Measured Depth (MD) and set in place the 9 5 /8” liner after which it was set to drill ahead in 8 ½” hole through the expected reservoir interval.

In an update on Monday, Carnarvon said that the Pavo-1 well has drilled down in the 8 ½” hole to around 3,282 metres MD. Multiple sands have been intersected within the Caley to Crespin reservoirs, with logging while drilling tools indicating porous and permeable reservoir intervals with similarity to the Dorado reservoir. Elevated gas readings and increased resistivity were observed between 2,944 metres MD and 3,001 metres MD indicating the presence of hydrocarbons.

Wireline logging will be undertaken to obtain definitive results on the nature and extent of the hydrocarbon zone and the logging results will be announced to shareholders upon the completion of the wireline logging programme, Carnarvon said.

Meanwhile, the well is being secured and the rig is being prepared for down-manning due to potential cyclone activity as a precautionary activity.

Once it has been deemed safe to do so, the drilling rig will be up-manned in preparation for wireline activities. Carnarvon said it would advise once the wireline operations have started.

Following completion of the Pavo-1 well, the rig will drill the Apus-1 well, which is located around 20km southwest of the Pavo-1 well location.