Oil production from Hovea has now exceeded the total oil production from the Dongara Field over the last 30 years and will shortly exceed the total production from the Mt Horner Field, the only other producing oil field in the Perth Basin.

Currently the Hovea field is producing at a rate of 5,000bopd, which at today's oil prices is likely to result in substantially higher operating profits for the operating partners Arc Energy (50%) and Origin Energy (50%) in the 2003/2004 financial year.

This production milestone also serves as a convincing demonstration of the production capability of the new Perth Basin oil fields.