Both the nearby Ravensworth and Stybarrow fields – which have different partners - have had positive appraisals in the last two weeks pushing analysts to declare the development of a major new Australian oil province.

Now the Scalybutt wireline logging program, which included sidewall cores and a velocity survey, has confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons in the western flank of the producing Woollybutt Oil Field.

JV partner Tap Oil said that while the results are encouraging the impact on reserves in the Woollybutt Field will not be quantified until the detailed results of the core and logs are integrated into the field mapping and reservoir models.

Additionally the impact of the on the Woollybutt-3 oil discovery, located 5.5km to the south of Scalybutt-1, is yet to be calculated and consideration is being given to drilling an additional well to appraise this southern lobe of the Woollybutt structure.

The suspension of the Scalybutt-1 well will allow it to be re-used in the future, if required, to access oil reserves in the western part of the field.

Located 50km southwest of Barrow Island and 42km northeast of the Griffin oil field, the FPSO 'Four Vanguard' is operating two wells in the field, Woollybutt-2AST3 and Woollybutt-1ST1, with an estimated proven and probable recoverable reserves around 25 million barrels.

WA-25-L Joint Venture Participants include Tap Oil 15%, ENI Australia (operator) 65% and Mobil Australia Resources 20%.