The Sydney-based operator said Bibblewindi wells 3, 5, 7 and 9 are now producing water under controlled pumping while any residual fracture stimulated sand and coal fines are being cleaned out from the well bore.

“The wells will later be allowed to gradually produce water at higher rates and to decrease the water levels (and therefore pressure) above the producing coal seam so as to release the absorbed gas from the coal,” Eastern Star said.

The company said this is a standard procedure to develop coal seam gas wells from production test to full production.

All but one of the remaining Bibblewindi wells are now on free flow prior to pumping, which will begin over the next two weeks, it said.

“Continued pumping should see steadily increasing gas rates over the next four-to-six months with a view to achieving commercial rates and reserves certification towards the end of the year,” Eastern Star said.

The CSM pilot project is in PEL 238 between Narrabri and Gunnedah in New South Wales, covering 9100 square kilometres of the Gunnedah Basin.

The PEL contains one of the largest onshore natural gas accumulations in Australia alone totalling 17,000 petajoules (17 trillion cubic feet) of gas in-place in the two coal seams.

Eastern Star owns a 65% stake in the project with Gastar Exploration, which holds the remaining stake.