Orchard said bad conditions - including mudslides, flooding and power outages - meant applying for a new drill site that resulted in the spud date for the Mackert 4-31 exploration well being delayed from late December to 17 March.

Orchard said a rig is available to drill the Mackert well and it will be retained to spud the Giusti 1-25 exploration well around the 24 March. The third well in the program, El Quartal 1-22, should be spudded in late March, Orchard told the market.