The wells will be drilled back-to-back over the next 8 weeks with the first, Sellicks-1, being spudded last night. It will take around nine days to reach the target depth of 2,205 metres.

Located in PEL 92, 75-kilometres west of Moomba, Beach said Sellicks-1 has assessed potential mean recoverable reserves of 1.2m barrels of oil and will test a relatively small but well-defined anticlinal trap located on the southwest flank of the Patchawarra Trough, 25 kilometres north of the Lake Hope oilfields.

Once Sellicks-1 is completed, the rig will progressively drill the Maslins-1, Aldinga-1 and Henley-1 exploration wells with the last due for completion by mid-September.

"The intensity of the drilling program and the location of the four targets will, at the very least, generate a fuller picture of the primary migratory route of oil from deep within the Basin to its southern and western flanks," Mr Nelson said.

"We have identified numerous prospects and leads for drilling in all of Beach's Cooper Basin blocks, and have nearly completed 1,000 kilometres of new seismic which will provide follow-up targets for the next round of drilling," he said.

Beach Petroleum also plans at least two development wells in its fully-owned Bodalla and Kenmore fields in southwest Queensland, during September-October this year.

After drilling, the equities will be Beach (75%) and Cooper (25%).