Junior partner Tap Oil told the ASX yesterday that Lauda-2 was being plugged and abandoned due to drilling difficulties associated with a stuck drill string.

Lauda-2 had targeted a separate closure at the Lauda East prospect on the downthrown side of the main fault, but failed to find commercial hydrocarbon zones at the target Barrow Group level and could not reach a deeper reservoir target due to the stuck drill string.

Tap said further potential still existed along this structure to the north and south of the discovery Lauda-1 well. Following analysis of well data, the joint venture would consider further appraisal at a later date.

Earlier this week Tap said the Harriet Joint Venture was plugging and abandoning the Jane-1 and Romulus-1 wells in permit TL/6 in the offshore Carnarvon Basin due to ongoing drilling difficulties.

TL/6 Joint Venture participants are Apache Northwest Pty (operator) 68.5%, Kufpec Australia Pty 19.2771%, and Tap Oil 12.2229%.

WA-290-P Joint Venture participants are OMV Barrow (operator) 50%, Tap (Shelfal) 25%, and Nippon Oil Exploration (Australia) 25%.