In Vic/P39 (V), operator Santos says while Galloway-1 intersected the target Latrobe Group, wireline logging indicates the primary and secondary objectives were water-bearing and contained no hydrocarbons.

After plugging and abandoning Galloway-1, the Ensign 32 drilling rig will move to PEP 160 in the Otway Basin to spud Beach Petroleum’s Glenaire-1 wildcat.

Galloway-1 was drilled from an onshore location by deviating the well into the offshore exploration block Vic/P39(V) near Seaspray in southeast Victoria.

Interests in Vic/P39(V) are operator Santos (37.5%), Nexus Energy (37.5%) and Tap Oil (25%).

Meanwhile in Vic/P54, Nexus says its Longtom-3 horizontal well has this week encountered an additional 540m of gross gas reservoir sands in the lower part of the Admiral Formation. Combined with last week’s results, the well has intersected a total of 930m of gas reservoir sands.

Nexus, which is drilling Longtom-3 as a sole-risk project, said the well continues to track through the laterally continuous gas sands.

“We are very pleased with the progress made on drilling in the horizontal well section since last week,” managing director Ian Tchacos said.

“The additional reservoir section intersected by the well continues to be encouraging from a well productivity and resource definition perspective.”

Tchacos said total depth was expected to be reached by the end of the week, after which time the well will be cased and a production test undertaken.