Bow also said it would acquire the Hunt Rig-2 on Monday, which will be moved to drill the first of a three well back-to-back oil drilling program in Wompi Block ATP 752P, Eromanga Basin.

The Brisbane-based company today said Donga-4 has reached total depth of 1603m and wireline logging was being carried out this morning.

Yesterday, it said a drill stem test recovered a small amount of light sweet crude and drilling mud with no formation water present.

It said analysis of the DST charts indicated a partial blockage, thus restricting the flow of fluids during the test. But it also suggested the reservoir is not well developed, inconsistent with the reservoir interpretation while drilling.

Bow said the final casing decision would follow a detailed analysis of the wireline data when it is available later today.

“The ATP 805P joint venture has determined that with the inconsistency of the results of Donga-4, it would not be prudent to drill Donga-5 immediately and the ADS Rid-6 will be released after the work at Donga-4 is completed,” the company said.

Bow holds an 85% interest in ATP 805P, while VicPet owns 15%.

Meanwhile, the company said it had been informed the Hunt Rig-2 would be released to Bow late Sunday or early Monday next week to begin its Cooper/Eromanga Basin drilling operations.

It expects it to take a week to get the rig, move camp and associated equipment and set up at the Maracoonda-2 drilling site in Wompi Block ATP 752P.

Marcoonda-2, the twin of Marcoonda-1 that interpreted bypassed oil pay in at least one zone, is the first of three wells being drilled back-to-back in the block on trend and near high productivity oil fields.

It will be followed by Gamma-1 and Nora-1, which have a combined recoverable oil potential in excess of 12 million barrels.

Operator Bow holds and 25% stake in Marcoonda-2 and ATP 752P while VicPet owns 25% and Avery Resources will take 50% once it finishes its farmin.