Woodside said yesterday it had suspended production at its 100,000 barrels per day Cossack oilfield on Tuesday as the sixth cyclone of the season approached. The company has also stopped oil production at its Legendre field but the North Rankin and Goodwyn gas platforms – part of the North West Shelf venture – were still operating.
The venture’s Karratha liquefied natural gas plant is still running, although no LNG ships will be loaded for the duration of the storm.
Meanwhile, Santos shut its 40,000 bpd Mutineer-Exeter oil field on Monday and BHPB’s 10,600 bpd Griffin oil field remains closed since Saturday, after it was threatened by a smaller storm.
Tap Oil announced yesterday that drilling operations had been suspended and personnel evacuated from its Zephyrus-1 well in the Harriet Joint Venture and the Jacala-1 exploration well in the Carnarvon Basin.
Meanwhile, Perth-based minnow Empire Oil & Gas has said the cyclone activity has further delayed spudding of its Dune-1 exploration well in Exmouth Sub Basin EP 435.
However, the company has received some good news. It has received environmental approval from the Western Australian Department of Industry and Resources to drill the Dune-2 and Dune-3 wells, if Dune-1 results in a commercial discovery.
The exploration well was originally meant to spud in late February, however Cyclone Emma and other tropical lows in the region at that time resulted in spudding being rescheduled for last Saturday, March 25.
But with Glenda now creeping along the Pilbara Coast, Empire said it would delay the spudding of Dune-1 until the second week of April.
“The company is well prepared for this seasonal event and has implemented its cyclone contingency safety procedures on site with all insurances in place,” Empire managing director Craig Marshall said.
“All operations are currently continuing until conditions prevent otherwise.”
With a planned total depth of 1350m, the Dune-1 well will evaluate a seismically defined structure to test the Birdrong Sandstone reservoir, productive at the company’s Rough Range Oilfield, 3km north-west.
