The Harriet joint venture has spudded the Albert-1 exploration well, which is designed to investigate a Flag sandstone closure on the same trend as the existing South Plato and Victoria Oil Fields.

The exploration well is being drilled in permit TL/6 as a deviated well from the existing Victoria production platform and is expected to take five days to reach total depth.

If successful, a horizontal development well will be completed in the reservoir such that it can be brought into production immediately.

Albert-1 is the first well to be drilled in an intensive drilling campaign of some 20 exploration, appraisal and development wells in the Harriet Joint Venture during 2005.

TL/6 Joint Venture Participants are Tap Oil Limited 12.22%, Apache Northwest Pty Limited (operator) 68.50% and Kufpec Australia Pty Limited 19.28%.

Meanwhile, the Maier-1 exploration well has also been spudded.

Located in WA-290-P, Maier-1 is 63km west of Barrow Island and 20km west-northwest of the Woollybutt Oil Field.

It is designed to test an interpreted four-way dip closure at the top Barrow Group level with the potential to contain 30 million barrels of recoverable oil.

Once Maier-1 has been completed, the next WA-290-P well will be Lauda-1, located 8km to the west.

WA-290-P joint venture participants are Tap (Shelfal) Pty Ltd 25%, OMV Barrow Pty Ltd (Operator) 50% and Nippon Oil Exploration (Australia) Pty Ltd 25%.