Ark Basin

After having my interest piqued a little, i thought I would have a look the Ark basin. In 2011 Linc announced the spudding of Haystack #1

http://www.lincenergy.com/data/asxpdf/ASX-LNC-333.pdf

  In this announcement, they stated they were drilling 10 wells, 1 x 1200m and the remainder to 2000m.

http://www.lincenergy.com/data/asxpdf/ASX-LNC-348.pdf
   Linc announced their "Oil Shale" discovery, in Arck #1, and the rig was moving to WIRRANGULLA HILL 1. They also mentioned that COOTANOORINA 2, the third well out of ten in their conventional drilling program was dry and tight formation through out, along with Haystack #1 and William Creek 1.

   From my counting that is 5 wells out of ten. But they never drilled another well, and did not seem to think anybody need to now why. Well they did actually drill one more, they got to 828m on WIRRANGULLA HILL 1, and lost the well, and had to redrill it with WIRRANGULLA HILL 1A to 924m.

  In their first announcement, they stated that all the wells apart from Haystack were going to 2000m, yet all bar one never made it to 1000m with COOTANOORINA 2 getting to 1420m, no explanation?

Another little observation, Haystack, William Creek and COOTANOORINA 2, were all drilled with an oil well drilling rig, with a Blow out Preventor (BOP), as they were hoping find conventional oil & gas. Arck #1, WIRRANGULLA HILL 1, and WIRRANGULLA HILL 1A, were drilled and cored with a mineral drilling rig, with no BOP. They were, drilling for oil, so I am not sure how they got away with that one.
http://www.lincenergy.com/data/asxpdf/ASX-LNC-348.pdf
Pictures of the 2 rigs can be seen on page 8 of 9


http://lincenergy.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20140603_073508_TI6_PSFGVMRQH7WV9Q3D.1.pdf

These are the three well they plan on drilling with the potential of entrapped mobile hydrocarbons. I hope they intend to use a BOP on these wells.

Moving onto the $20 trillion question, I only just realized that by far the largest resources that Gustavon and Co estimated are in the Pre-Permian. The interesting thing about that is Linc's 5 well campaign never reached the Pre-Permian. At best they got to the Boorthanna. Obviously that is why they are going deeper this time, but by their original plan the Pre-Permian should have already have been drilled.

http://lincenergy.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20140603_073508_TI6_PSFGVMRQH7WV9Q3D.1.pdf

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As for expecting drilling updates, unless Singapore has much stricter controls than the ASX, historically we got a spud announcement, and an announcement after 4 wells were drilled, and that was because it was good news.The fact that the last well needed to be re-drilled, was some how forgotten in all the excitement.

  Interesting enough the sample from Arck #1 were picked up from storage in Feb this year. For more work? or just to keep them safe?

  The well reports can be found at the below links
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=262968
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=247449
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=263888
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=263534
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=247446
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=264441
https://drillhole.pir.sa.gov.au/Details.aspx?DRILLHOLE_NO=247448

Also a little quote from the SA gov site on what was found in Magnia #1
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/petroleum/...province_information/prospectivity_arckaringa

Notice how few wells have actually been drilled in the whole basin! There is going to be a lot of work needed to determine what is there. So in the whole basin the SA government is saying they have literally only had one sniff of oil. They do not seem to counting the cores from Arck #1, not sure why but they do not seem to consider it an oil show.

Lets hope that Linc gets on with the job, keeps us informed and confirms their hunches of large amounts of Shale oil in the Pre-Permian. Of course the wild card is an oil filled structural trap, but that would be the Needle in the Haystack.

I hope this helps people understand the Ark Basin and Linc Energy a little better. I know I have learnt a lot doing the research.