Lyginia-1, about 13km southeast of the Dongara township, was primarily targeting the highest point on an anticlinal structure in the Dongara Sandstone, the main oil-producing reservoir in the Jingemia, Hovea and Eremia oil fields.

Arc said yesterday the well had reached total depth of 2345m.

Based on logging while drilling (LWD) resistivity and gamma logs, the well intersected the Dongara Sandstone reservoir at 2162.5m true vertical depth sub-sea, about 12m deeper than prognosed.

But preliminary interpretation of the LWD logs found the primary target Dongara Sandstone does not contain hydrocarbons.

Arc Energy, as operator, and Origin are equal partners in the well and the L1 licence.