The Woollybutt-4 well is being suspended to allow for re-entry and completion as apotential future horizontal production well in the interpreted crest of the southern lobe of the Woollybutt structures.

Woollybutt-4 is located in the southern lobe of the Woollybutt structure, 1.5km north-west of the Woollybutt-3 well.

The Woollybutt-4 well has now been logged to its total depth with side wall cores and pressure data acquired in the Upper Barrow sandstones.

In the southern lobe of the Woollybutt field, Tap’s preliminary estimate of potential additional recoverable volumes of oil remains at around 10 million barrels in the upper reservoir. No volumes have been attributed to the lower zone in the Upper Barrow at this stage as this will require a detailed evaluation of all available data including laboratory examination of the cored section.

The secondary target in Woollybutt-4, some 40 metres beneath the upper zone where a six-metre gross oil column was intersected in the nearby Woollybutt-3 drilled in 1999 may also have a small oil column, but attempts to collect a sample were unsuccessful so this remains undetermined.

The pressure information implies the presence of lateral seals, which bodes well for potential future production from this zone if oil was found to be present, according to Tap.

Analysis of the 18-metre cored section through this zone will be required before any further comment can be made on the possible commerciality of this zone, Tap said.

WA-234-P joint venture participants are Eni Australia Limited (operator) 65%, Mobil Australia Resources 20% and Tap Oil Limited 15%.