Santos told Bow that rain and operational issues meant Cuisinier-1 would now spud on April 25.

Cuisinier-1 and Hudson-1 have been selected as the first two farm-in wells in the Barta Block in ATP 752P. They will test structural prospects with the potential to contain up to 11 million and 4 million barrels of recoverable oil respectively.

Bow is fully carried on up to seven oil exploration wells and 300 square kilometres of 3D seismic in ATP 752P and will retain 15% working interest after the farmin is completed.

Meanwhile, the workover of suspended oil well Donga-4 in the Surat-Bowen Basin permit ATP 805P is now expected to start in early to mid May.

Earlier this month, Bow reported Donga-4 would start in the last week of April. The workover will consist of perforations over the Donga sandstone oil interval and a swab test to determine the potential oil flow rates of the well.

Bow said assuming positive results in the Donga-4 swab test, it will bring the well into production along with Donga-3.

The company is also negotiating to carry out a similar swab test on the Rockwood North-1 oil well that flowed at 80 barrels per day in early 2005 and now produces an average of 10bpd.

Subject to rig availability, this test is scheduled for May this year.

In another part of Queensland, the Bow-operated Orallo North-3 production well in the Orallo North coal seam methane field has been suspended as a future production well.

Bow said the Don Juan joint venture has rescheduled further production well drilling until after exploration core drilling has resumed and results have been assessed.

Bow plans to deepen the Orallo South-1 well following the review of the core data from re-drilling. The well reached a depth of 414.5m.

The company has a 55% interest in the Don Juan joint venture.