But this maximum rate, delivered through a 48/64-inch choke at 677psi, was limited by the capacity of testing equipment and the need to ensure flaring was done safely.

The Melbourne-based company said the testing, which produced no formation water or sand, reiterated its belief that Puffin-7 would initially come on stream at more than 15,000 barrels of oil per day at 600psi.

The oil is light sweet crude with a specific gravity of 0.804 corresponding to 45 degrees API, it said. Oil samples have now been collected for reservoir fluid analysis and refinery assays for sales purposes.

Puffin-7 tested a gross horizontal section in the LK1a oil reservoir at a depth of 2513m to 3187m, of which 635m was net oil bearing sandstone.

AED described the tested interval as “excellent quality, high permeability late Cretaceous LK1a sandstone.” This is the same reservoir encountered by the Puffin-5 and Puffin-1 wells.

Puffin-7 intersected the reservoir about 400m north-northeast of Puffin-5, and 1.3 km north of Puffin-1. Puffin-5 tested oil in June 2000.