The pilot program, which will comprise a total of 10 wells, is aimed to test the two main benches of the Big George seam identified in last year’s stratigraphic drilling program.
Drilled to a total depth of 641 metres, the State 4980-16-7 well encountered 37.5 metres of coal formation, with a 15.5-metre interval in the Big George seam.
Meanwhile, State 4980-16-3, drilled to 671 metres, and Hodges 4890-9-15, to 701 metres, each encountered an 18 metre interval at the Big George target, while intersecting total coal intervals of 47.5 metres and 40.8 metres respectively.
“Whilst the remaining coals of the Big George, and the Upper Fort Union and Wasatch Formations are not intended to be produced from at this time, these will be 'behind pipe' so they can be readily accessed in the future,” director Peter Nightingale said.
“Also, the stratigraphic program intersected deeper coal units which will be valid targets for the future development.”
Planet Gas said each well was fully cased upon reaching total depth, while well completion, including downhole cleanup, seam perforations, formation enhancement and pump installation, would take place at the end of the program.
The company said the now completed in-field reticulation would be tied into the individual wells upon completion of the drilling program.
The West Esponda project totals 5,850 net hectares and has the capacity for about 230 wells on the state mandated 32 hectare (80 acre) spacing, the company said.
“Total coal isopach mapping of this sparsely drilled area of the deep Powder River Basin estimates that between 20 to 45 metres of coal is present,” Nightingale said.
“This estimate is supported by results from the stratigraphic drilling program, which was completed by the Company at West Esponda late last year, which intersected gassy coal with cumulative intersections of up to 50 metres and an average of 35.4 metres, of which the Big George coal seam intervals were between 17 to 22 metres.
“This indicates the Big George coal horizon can be extended 16 kilometres to the northwest with a total thickness correlative to that present in the western portions of the company’s East Esponda Project.”
