Amity said on Friday that Whicher Range-5 was periodically flowing back the diesel-based frac fluids and small amounts of gas at a fairly slow rate. With no significant change from last week’s reports Amity said it would allow the well to flow back for the next 30 days and monitor its progress. It said virtually all the equipment has been demobilised therefore the ongoing cost of this testing operation was low.

In Oklahoma the company said the impending section of the well is being drilled carefully with an oil based mud system to protect the sands from damage and will therefore be a little slower than earlier rates. The final total depth is expected to be approximately 12,000 feet.

The objective of Ellis-1 is to re-test the lower Morrow B sand which flowed gas in the offset well (200 metres away) at a rate of approximately 2.4 MMscf/d. The well will also evaluate additional underlying Morrow C, D and E sands that are potentially gas bearing and productive based on the log analysis, but may have been damaged by water-based drilling fluids.