“This is the first well in Enterprise’s 2005 drilling program [and] the first well that Enterprise is participating in PEL 88,” said Enterprise managing director Warren Leslie.

Kitson is also the debut well of another partner, recently listed Sundance Energy.

Operator Cooper Energy has said Kitson has an overall undiscovered recoverable reserve range of between 1 to 11.3 million barrels with a mean of 5.2 million barrels. But there was only a 12% chance of making a commercial discovery.

Located on a large structural high located in the far north-eastern corner of South Australia, Kitson-1 is programmed to be drilled to a total depth of 2205 metres and should take about 18 days to drill, Enterprise said.

The well will test the oil-bearing potential of the Jurassic and Triassic sections in five prognosed reservoir intervals, according to Leslie.

“Most of the wells previously drilled in the general region of the Kitson location have intersected shows of varying degrees in rocks of these two age groups,” he said.

“The large fault closed structural high also has a robust four-way dip closed component at the crest. The Kitson-1 well is located on this four-way dip closed portion on the structure, which was defined by seismic mapping conducted during 2004.”

The nearest oilfield, Cook, is located about 33km to the south-east. This field produces from the Hutton Sandstone of Jurassic age. The James oilfield which is located 50 km to the south of the Kitson location has produced oil from reservoirs of Upper Triassic age.

“These oil occurrences along with the shows in other nearby wells demonstrate the potential that could exists for oil to occur in several reservoirs at the Kitson location,” Leslie said.

Interests in Kitson are: Sundance Energy (earning) 45%, Cooper Energy NL 30% (operator), Victoria Petroleum 10%, Enterprise Energy NL 10% Liberty Petroleum Corporation 5%.