Black Rock managing director, Ivan Burgess, said that the approval could, depending on drilling rig availability enable the Sandhills-2 well to be drilled before the end of calendar year 2004.
The well will be drilled as a follow-up to the first well which was drilled in 1982 into the same structure. That well encountered significant hydrocarbons in the Jurassic Great Oolite reservoir rocks but was never tested.
Black Rock Oil Gas Plc has 5% equity in this project and will be free carried through the drilling of the well. The company therefore is not obliged to spend any money on the drilling but will benefit from any success.
Sandhills-2 will be drilled after the Cyrano-2 well which is scheduled as an appraisal of a 29m hydrocarbon, 10m gross oil column. That well, located in the offshore Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia is likely to commence drilling during October 2004.
