SINGAPORE, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The start of oil production at Australia's Puffin field is imminent, an official at independent company AED Oil (AED.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday, following delays to the launch.
"We expect to start imminently," Trevor Slater, general manager of marketing at AED, said by phone. "It's certainly not weeks away now."
The field was now undergoing testing, Slater said.
Puffin oilfield in the Timor Sea will produce between 25,000 and 30,000 barrels per day, AED has said previously.
The field, the biggest addition this year to Australia's struggling oil output, was initially expected to come onstream in 2006, but the start-up was delayed to this summer and then to mid-to-late September.
The new crude, Puffin North East crude oil, has an API gravity of about 44 degrees and a sulphur content of 0.05 percent, making it similar to Asian benchmark Tapis crude.
NWE Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held
