Carnarvon-1 is about 19km east of Orallo North-1 and 20km southeast of Taringa South-1. The joint venture’s Phase 1 reserves certification appraisal program is targeting gas reserves over an area of about 320 square kilometres.

This reserves certification program, consisting of six core holes and eight firm plus four contingent pilot wells, has been approved by MHA Petroleum Consultants in Denver acting as advisers and reserves certifiers.

A coring rig has been secured and will be used along with the current drilling rig to carry out the program, with the initial target of 200 petajoules of proven and probable (2P) reserves by the end of 2008.

In addition to reserves certification work the JV plans to also drill a conventional oil exploration well in the same acreage in the current quarter.

The 340m Don Juan North-2 oil exploration well, planned to spud in the last week of January, will test a shallow oil target with 5 million barrels of recoverable oil potential in the Don Juan area (Bow 76%).

The Don Juan CSM partners are Bow (45%), Victoria Petroleum (45%) and private investment vehicle Roma CBM (10%).