It said tenders have been called for the drilling rig and construction of the drilling site with long lead items having been already ordered.

“At this time it is estimated the well will commence drilling December 2004/January 2005,” said Black Rock CEO Ivan Burgess.

“The primary reservoir objective in Sandhills-2 … was oil bearing in the Sandhills-1 well which was drilled in 1982 but not tested. Sandhills-2 will be designed to core, log and test to establish if economic quantities of hydrocarbons are contained within the Great Oolite sequence.” Black Rock has a 5% interest in the well.

Black Rock also said the Cyrano-2 appraisal well (15%) which is located offshore Western Australia was planned for December. Cyrano-2 is being drilled as an appraisal of a gross 19 metre gas column overlying 10 metres of oil intersected by Cyrano-1.