The Brisbane-based company yesterday said drilling operations on the last of the multi-well Lacerta production pilots, in permit ATP 795P, had now been completed.

“Activity on these wells, with eight drilled to date, will now centre on preparation for completion operations and bringing them into production testing mode,” said Sunshine Gas managing director Tony Gilby.

He said drilling had begun on the four planned single-well pilots aimed at accelerating data acquisition in the greater Lacerta area.

Drilling of Lacerta-14 started last Friday, with that well now drilled to a total depth of 443m. Wireline logs had been acquired and the well was being completed as a potential future gas producer.

“Preliminary indications suggest net coal intersection in this well is slightly better than that encountered in the other pilot wells to the south. This gives further encouragement for Sunshine’s program of rapid assessment of the Lacerta resource.”

In addition, the Mitchell Rig 123 spudded Lacerta-13 last Friday and that well was currently at a depth of 306m and coring ahead in the Walloon Coal Measures.

Gilby said production testing at Pilot-1 was continuing with all four wells online and now cumulatively producing about 250,000 cubic feet per day of gas and 2200 barrels per day of water.