The new permit consists of 31 blocks and adjoins EP 432 to the north and EP 389 to the south – both also held by Empire Oil – and is situated along the Cataby to Yeal oil trend.

The main play in EP 440 is the Jurassic Cattamarra coal measures along the Cataby to Yeal oil trend. The Eclipse-1 well, drilled during 2003 by Empire in EP 389 encountered live and residual oil shows in thin sands in these measures, while the Cataby-1 well, drilled in EP 432 in 1992 by the previous permit holders, tested oil at 30 BOPD from a thin sand in the same measures.

‘It is interpreted that oil generating along the western flanks of the Dandaragan Trough is migrating updip and to the west into EP 440,” Empire said.

“This Jurassic oil play forms the 150km long Cataby to Yeal oil trend which extends from the western part of EP 389, through the north-eastern part of EP 440 and into the southern part of EP 432.”

Only two exploration wells have been drilled in EP 440 – Badaminna-1 and Barragoon-1, both drilled by Wapet in 1967 and 1974 respectively.

In Badaminna-1, the sandstones in the Cattamarra measures had good reservoir quality with porosities of 15-20%. Interbedded with these sandstones are up to 100 metre thick shale/siltstone sequences to provide both vertical and lateral seal for potential hydrocarbon accumulations.

The existing seismic data was acquired in the period 1970-76 and is of poor to fair quality, according to Empire.

“The initial exploration in the permit will be to reprocess this seismic data using modern, technologically advanced methods to improve the quality,” the company said.

“The main focus will be in the area where Badaminna-1 was drilled … following this seismic reprocessing, the new data will be reinterpreted and any structural leads that are defined will be followed up with detailed seismic surveys.”