“The hydraulic fracture stimulation placed 264,000 lbs of frac sand into the five metre thick Bohena coal seam (lower Maules Creek Formation) at a depth of 897m, making it the largest CBM hydraulic fracture stimulation ever conducted in Australia,” said ESG.

Fracture stimulation of coal seams in Australia usually placed between 20,000 lbs and 80,000 lbs of sand, but ESG said experience in similar high permeability coal settings in the USA has demonstrated a strong correlation between well productivity and the amount of sand proppant placed into the coal seam.

Bibblewindi-1, located seven kilometres south of the recently drilled Bohena South-1 CSG well, was originally drilled in 2001 and, although it flowed gas and water un-stimulated from the Bohena coal seam, the well was never fracture stimulated nor placed into long term test production.

The forward plan is to immediately conduct a second fracture stimulation of the overlying upper Maules Creek Formation coals prior to the well being placed into long term test production.

Partners in the project include Eastern Star Gas 15% (but acquiring up to 32.5%), Hillgrove Resources 15% (but acquiring up to 32.5%) and Gastar Exploration 70% (but reducing to 35%).