Perth-based Tap yesterday afternoon said operator Apache Northwest and its partners had intersected the top of the targeted formation about 9m high to prognosis with the Bambra East-2 well.

“The well encountered an excellent quality reservoir section with a hydrocarbon-water contact consistent with the original Bambra-1 discovery well and recent Bambra East-1 appraisal well.”

Bambra East-2 was drilled to a total measured depth of about 2500m, then plugged and abandoned, as planned.

“Bambra East-2 is another very successful result for the Bambra East appraisal project.”

Tap said it was confident that the better than expected results from the Bambra East appraisal wells would lead to an increase in the gas volumes of the Bambra East gas field.

PetroleumNews.net yesterday reported Tap as saying the partners had first encountered an excellent reservoir section with Bambra East-1, which intersected the top of the targeted formation about 3m high to prognosis.

Tap added that reservoir information from both appraisal wells would be integrated into the gas field evaluation to better determine gas volumes and optimal development.

The Bambra East-1 and 2 wells are appraising the Bambra East gas field, located in Production Licence TL/1. The Bambra field was developed in 2005 via a long reach horizontal multi-lateral (Bambra-7H) from the Harriet-Bravo facilities.

TL/1 joint venture partners are Apache (operator with a 68.5% stake), Kufpec Australia (19.2771%) and Tap (12.2229%).