A production test on the well, in retention lease WA-17-R, established a flow rate of 54 million cubic feet per day, constrained by rig equipment.
The new field lies almost midway between ChevronTexaco’s Gorgon field and the North West Shelf’s offshore platforms and twin pipeline infrastructure. The carbon dioxide levels in Wheatstone are as yet unknown. Gorgon’s high CO2 content makes for significant engineering and environmental issues, leading ChevronTexaco to propose sequestrating the CO2 deep underground.
While the company said it was for too early to make development plans, it did say the new discovery had increased its options considerably.
The Gorgon partners could blend their gas with Wheatstone gas to reduce the overall CO2 levels or it could be tied into the NWS trunklines.
If the North West Shelf proceeds to a fifth train, it is expected to require new reserves within five to ten years.
George Kirkland, president of ChevronTexaco Overseas Petroleum, said, "This discovery underscores ChevronTexaco’s strategy of focusing our exploration program on high-impact opportunities. Our continued exploration success in Australia, combined with our natural gas development plans, offers great prospects for gas customers, both in Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific Basin."
Jay Johnson, managing director of ChevronTexaco Australia, said the Wheatstone discovery would be an important addition to ChevronTexaco Australia’s gas resources.
"The discovery further confirms the world-class gas resources offshore Western Australia and is the latest step in our ongoing efforts to explore and develop Australia’s gas resources."
The Wheatstone-1 well was spudded in late July, in water depths of around 213m, and encountered 54m of net gas sands in the objective Jurassic Tithionian and Triassic Mungaroo AA sands within a 126m hydrocarbon column.
ChevronTexaco Australia is operator and joint-venture participant in the Gorgon development and permits in the Greater Gorgon Area, joint-venture participant in the North West Shelf Venture, and operator and joint venture participant in the Barrow Island and Thevenard Island oil fields, all located off the northwest coast of Australia.
