Sasanof comes in a winner -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 12 April 2012 Energy News Premium.
SENEX Energy says initial results from the Sasanof-1 well in PEL 516 of the Cooper Basin confirm the southern Cooper block shares many attributes associated with successful US unconventional gas plays.
Sasanof-1 was the first of three dedicated unconventional gas exploration wells to be drilled in PEL 516, with Senex observing significant gas shows across the Epsilon and Patchawarra tight sand reservoirs of the Permian section.
Subsequent analysis of the gas shows suggests the presence of wet gas while initial desorption testing of the Roseneath and Murteree shale samples and the Toolachee and Patchawarra coal samples delivered positive gas content.
Senex managing director Ian Davies said the results were exciting for the company’s plans to establish a large scale, cost competitive unconventional gas resource.
“Successful exploration at Sasanof-1 is the first major step in unlocking a globally significant unconventional gas resource in the southern Cooper Basin,” he said.
“These initial results confirm that PEL 516 shares many of the characteristics of successful US unconventional gas plays.”
Sasanof-1 has been cased and suspended for an extensive hydraulic fracture stimulation program to evaluate the potential for commercial production of unconventional gas.
Senex said it was finalising the design of the program which would draw on data gathered from successful mini fracs at the neighbouring Allunga Trough-1 well during January.
The frac program is due to start early next month. In the meantime, Senex has started drilling its second unconventional well, Talaq-1.
Talaq-1, about 70km northeast of Sasanof-1, was spudded on Tuesday and will investigate the unconventional potential of the Roseneath and Murteree shales and the Epsilon and Patchawarra formations.
The entire section from the top of the Roseneath shale to the base of Murteree shale will be cored as well as more than 90m of tight sands and coals in the Patchawarra formation.
Following Talaq-1, Senex will drill the Skipton-1 well about 50km northeast of Sasanof-1.
Senex also has plans to drill a fourth unconventional gas well in the neighbouring PEL 115 block later in the year.
Senex holds 100% of PEL 516 and has a 55% stake in PEL 115.
Sasanof-1 is in the SE corner of the C.B. below Holdfast and if you look at SXY's ann, where there is an overview of its location, you would think that it is in a far shallower and less "productive" zone than what was released by BPT for Holdfast and Encounter and "hopefully" even less than seems to be in 855.
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