The delay was originally due to the recent torrential rain experienced in southern Queensland but has been extended by testing of the rig and drilling equipment for safe use taking longer than expected.

The well is expected to take between 2 and 3 weeks to reach a total depth 3,200m, depending on the degree of drilling difficulty encountered.

The location of Overston 2 has been selected approximately 1 kilometre to the south of Overston-1 using the recently acquired 3D seismic data.

Overston-2 will appraise two principal zones of interest, the Showgrounds Sandstone and the Tinowon Sandstone both of which were gas charged in Overston 1. The Tinowon is proposed to be drilled with air/nitrogen.

Overston-1 intersected several gas shows from 1,200m to TD. In particular, significant gas shows were recorded in the Walloon Coal Measures, the Showgrounds Sandstone, the Blackwater Group and the Tinowon Sandstone.

Sunshine carried out a quantitative wireline log interpretation for Overston-1 with gross log pay intervals for the Showgrounds and Tinowon sections of 25.5m and 12.9m and net log pay intervals of 24.2m and 8m calculated respectively.

After drilling Overston-1, venture partner Sunshine Gas commissioned an Independent Expert Report on the potential of the Overston feature, which calculated a mean gasin-place of 137 billion cubic feet.

Interests in the well are Sunshine Gas (50%) and Samson Exploration (50%, operator)