Woodside had a measure of success with the Skiddaw-2 well on the NWS after wireline data indicated gas and oil zones present over a gross 22m interval. The exploration wells have been plugged and abandoned as planned with attention now moving to the Stybarrow-2 location.

Woodside spudded the Samoa #1 exploration well (OCS-G 21314 #1), located in the Gulf of Mexico on Brazos Area Block A 10, following the abandonment of the Roatan-1 well in Late May.

Pioneer Natural Resources USA, operator of the Samoa prospect, will use the Rowan Paris drilling rig to drill the well. The well is the second of an eight well program that Woodside Energy (USA) Inc. and Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc. have agreed to drill in 2003 and 2004.

Back in Australia Woodside, as operator of the WA-248-P Joint Venture, reported that the Tigger-1 exploration well located in the Carnarvon Basin spudded on 31 May 2003. The Sedco 703 rig is drilling the well 140 kilometres north of Dampier, with a planned total depth 3,600 metres.

The Sedco 703 rig moved to the well after the Egret-3 discovery in late May.

Woodside's interest in WA-248-P is 45%. The other participants are Kufpec Australia Pty Ltd. (35%) and Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty Ltd. (20%).