The core was cut in December 2004 and the company said slabbing the core – the process of laying out the core and cutting it in half along its vertical axis had been completed.

They had also created a strip log – a detailed description of the core along its length indicating important properties including porosity, rock types, physical structures, fossils and the likely depositional environments of the sediments.

Nexus also said spot permeabilities had been obtained by injecting air into points along the core’s axis to determine comparative permeabilities at various points along the core.

Nexus said the initial visual inspection and spot permeabilities were encouraging in terms of the likely flow potential of the reservoir sections in the Longtom-2 core.

Nexus said the next phase of the results would be ready in the next two weeks.

It also said given the importance of Longtom to the company, Nexus was independently remapping the field to determine the likely range of recoverable gas volumes and conducting other engineering studies as part of a program focussed on rapidly appraising and commercialising the discovery.