The new acreage – the Bleue Lorraine permit located in north-east France – follows the granting of the Gaz de Saint Etienne permit near Lyon in eastern France and the Gaz de Gardanne block near Marseille in south-east France.
Kimberley Oil has the rights to earn up to a 75% interest in each permit from the UK's Heritage Petroleum but will begin with an initial 10% interest.
The Bleue Lorraine permit covers 460 square kilometres of the Lorraine Basin near Strasbourg. It includes rights to coal-bed methane and coal mine methane as well as conventional hydrocarbons.
The Bleue Lorraine 2005 work program is aimed to initially establish sites for CBM stratigraphic core drilling, expected to begin in the second half of 2005.
At Gaz de Gardanne, CBM potential is to be analysed before drilling. Engineering studies will be commenced for CMM production at both Gaz de Gardanne and Gaz de Saint Ettienne.
Meanwhile back in Australia, Oilex has farmed into Kimberley’s Canning Basin acreage.
Oilex will drill test the Blina Backreef play in Western Australia’s Canning Basin to earn a 60% interest in L6 and EP129. One new well will be drilled to the northeast of the Blina oilfield during the second quarter of 2005.
This is the second time Oilex has farmed into a Kimberley Oil block in the region.
