Antares said it would move the planned Ellis-4 well in Ellis County, Oklahoma about three kilometres north of the original planned location, delaying the new well’s spud by up to two weeks.

The revised location has a more favourable structural location at the Morrow level, according to Antares.

The Perth-based company has a 92% working interest in Ellis–3 where a frac crew worked on the well this week after completing perforation of a 4 metre interval in the Morrow C formation.

At Antares’ Beaver County, Oklahoma play, Yukon-2 spudded on 29 May, drilling to the primary objective at 1646 metres.

Good gas shows and a drilling break were observed, the company said.

Antares said it planned to keep drilling Yukon-2 until there were no more gas shows, then run logs and case the well if it was commercial. A horizontal lateral is also being considered.

Work at Wilbeck-1 in Wharton County, Texas – in which Antares Energy has a 30% interest – is waiting for the availability of a frac crew.

Antares is focusing on onshore exploration in Oklahoma, where it has three wells in production, and Texas.

The company also has three producing gas fields – Gocerler, Cayirdere and Adatepe – in Turkey’s Thrace Basin, 100 kilometres west of Istanbul.

At Adatepe-5 in Turkey – where Antares has a 50% working interest – casing has been set and the rig released. Dual completion is planned when tubing arrives.

The future exploration strategy in Turkey is to focus on the Thrace Basin acreage and drill low risk exploration and development wells to build gas reserves and maintain current production levels.