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Oil Search managing director Peter Botten said the work would build on the experience at the suspended Antelope-4 appraisal well and Antelope-5, both of which have been largely in line with Oil Search's pre-drill expectations.
Oil Search entered the existing project in 2013.
"Both wells have provided significant new information that will assist in the evaluation of the field, which we believe has the potential to underpin a commercially attractive new LNG development," Botten said.
The Antelope-5 flow rate is constrained by reservoir engineers to a maximum rate of about 70 million cubic feet a day.
InterOil CEO Dr Michael Hession said Antelope-5 has the best reservoir thickness, quality and fracture density of all wells on the field, which is impressive given some of the flow rates calculated for past wells have measured above 300MMcfpd.
Dr Hession said data from the testing would help the joint venture to optimise design of the LNG plant and associated infrastructure.
The joint venture is finalising plans for field testing, including drilling another well, Antelope-6, to define the eastern flank of the reservoir.
Drilling operations at Antelope-4 in the southern flank of the reservoir have been suspended at a measured depth of 2134m.
Cores were cut in the upper part of the reservoir as planned, resulting in a recovery of 33m of dolomite.
Drilling continued in the reservoir and substantial mud losses were experienced at 2110 m indicating the well had intersected a significant fracture system.
The PRL15 Joint Venture is evaluating the information obtained from the well before deciding on next steps for Antelope-4.
PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and the Minister for Department of Petroleum and Energy the Nixon Duban visited the Antelope-5 well site in the Gulf Province yesterday to see the operation and to be briefed on the Elk-Antelope LNG project, a joint venture of InterOil, Total and Oil Search, and possibly PNG's second LNG project.
The PRL 15 JV is on track to select a preferred development concept by mid-year, to begin early development work in 2016, and to award contracts for construction in 2017.
