Gawler said its High Island A-268 field was producing 15.5 million cubic feet of gas per day (MMcf/d) and 264 barrels of condensate per day from Well A-1 and Well A-2.

The A-1 well continued to produce about 9.0 MMcf/d, with condensate production increasing from about 220 to 250bpd as the well continued to clean up. The well remained on the same choke size (16/64-inch), with no formation water being produced.

Gawler also said the A-2 well also continued to clean up, with gas sales from the lower reservoir zone.

On the choke setting (13/64-inch) the well had achieved a stabilised production rate of about 6.5MMcf/d and 14bpd. The well was also producing about 65 barrels of completion fluids per day, which was expected to decline over the coming days.

The company said it anticipated first cash receipts from the wells’ production in November.

Gawler holds a 30% working interest in the High Island field that is subject to a 5.4% “back-in” following the recovery of Gawler’s initial investment through production sales.

Meanwhile, Entek Energy said this week it expects production at two of its High Island blocks to begin this month.

The company holds a 5 percent working interest in four 720-acre blocks in the High Island region.

Well 1 on High Island Block 24-L (S/2 SW/4) was spudded on July 30 last year and produced a test-flow rate of 47.5 million cubic feet a day, and Well 1 on High Island Block 24-L (N/2 SW/4) was spudded on January 6 this year and produced a test-flow rate of 50.5MMcfd.

These two finds are likely to be worth about $A23 million to Entek, the company said.

High Island is an elevated peninsula on the mainland on the eastern side of Galveston Bay, just inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Its elevation is due to the large salt dome under the area.

The shallow waters around the peninsula hold numerous oil and gas leases.