Testing of the Barossa-1 gas exploration well in the Timor Sea and Bonaparte Basin offshore Northern Territory has confirmed the presence of gas, and provided valuable reservoir and composition data, Santos said this morning.

Barossa-1, drilled to test the prospect formerly known as Lynedoch, has been drilled to a total depth of 4310m by operator ConocoPhillips. Logging and two drill stem tests have now completed, according to Santos.

Test results indicate a carbon dioxide content in the gas of roughly 16%. High CO2 gas is common in the eastern Timor Sea. The find was also low in liquids.

“The first test, of a lower-quality reservoir interval, flowed gas at a rate of approximately 0.8 million cubic feet per day through a one-inch choke,” managing director John Ellice-Flint said.

“The second test, of a higher-quality reservoir interval, flowed gas at a rate of approximately 30.1 million cubic feet per day through a 56/64 inch choke, with a condensate rate of 7 to 9 barrels per million cubic feet of raw gas as measured at the rigsite. The gas flowrate test was constrained by limitations of the surface equipment.”

Barossa-1 is the third well to be drilled on this structure following the drilling of the Lynedoch-1 and 2 wells in 1973 and 1998, respectively.

“Barossa-1 is an encouraging result that further builds on Santos’ gas resources in the offshore Timor/Bonaparte region,” Ellice-Flint said.

“The forward program is to drill an appraisal well on the nearby Caldita gas discovery, and to acquire 3D seismic data over these structures to determine the likely resource range and the development potential,” he said.

Barossa-1 well will now be plugged and abandoned as planned, and the rig will be moved to the Caldita-2 location.

The Barossa discovery is located in exploration permit NT/P69, 295km north-northwest of Darwin in water depth of 233m.

The participants in NT/P69 are ConocoPhillips (operator with a 60% stake) and Santos (40%).