The well, located in Victorian permit PEP 154 about six kilometres northwest of the Croft Gas Field and 28 kilometres southeast of Warrnambool, will now be abandoned.

Following abandonment, the Century 7 drilling rig will be released to Woodside Energy and Beach Petroleum for one well each before returning to Origin to drill the appraisal well Wynn-2 in PRL 1, South Australia.

Interests in Childers-1 are Origin (operator and 90%) and Beach Petroleum (10%).

Meanwhile, at another field operated by Origin another well found water but this time it was good news.

The Jingemia-5 oil appraisal/water injection well in onshore Perth Basin, Western Australia permit L14 reached total depth of 2519 metres on October 3.

Located about 60 metres northeast of the Jingemia 6 surface location and roughly 275 metres northwest of the Jingemia oil production facility, the well spudded on September 22 and was drilled by the ODE 16 drilling rig.

The Dongara Sandstone primary target was intersected about 54 metres below the field oil-water contact and the well will be completed as a water injector for the Jingemia oil field as planned.

At 6am Perth time yesterday, Origin was continuing fishing operations to retrieve the wireline pressure measurement tool before completing the logging program and casing the well.

Interests in Jingemia are: Origin Energy Developments Pty Ltd (operator) 49.189%, Arc Energy Limited 44.141%, Victoria Petroleum Offshore Pty Ltd 5%, Norwest Energy NL 1.278%, Roc Oil Pty Ltd 0.250% and JK Geary 0.142%.