The SN-0 sands, in which a small oil column was encountered in the earlier Supplejack South-1 well, were encountered about 18m shallower than in that well, according to partner Austral Pacific.

“Electric logs showed these sands are a gross 5m thick, and of good reservoir quality and gas-charged,” Austral said.

“A shallower 1.5m reservoir quality sandstone is also interpreted as gas-charged. All parties in petroleum exploration permit PEP 38765 have agreed to case the well for completion as a gas producer.”

Flow-testing of both gas sands in this well will start early next month. Following that, a joint development plan will be finalised for this well and the earlier Supplejack-1 well, drilled from the same site, which also intersected gas pay at two separate levels.

Partners in PEP 38765 and Supplejack are Tap Oil (permit operator) 50%, Austral Pacific Energy (well operator) 36.67% and TAG Oil 13.33%.

Meanwhile, the Ensign Rig 19 will move off location in early January, to drill for another operator.

It is then scheduled to drill the Heaphy-1 well in PEP 38746 (Austral 66.67%, operator) in February. Ratanui-1, located in PEP 38741 (Austral 30%, operator) along trend from Supplejack, will also be drilled in the coming months.

In other news, the Cardiff-2A well (Austral 25.1%, operator) is now ready for flow testing of the McKee reservoir. This will occur in mid January, after the test equipment is released from Supplejack South-1A