The company told the market yesterday its 10% share of oil production from the Santos-operated field was 13,499 barrels in December, the highest yet from this block.

"This production follows on from the previous records set in October and November," the company said.

In mid 2007 Drillsearch announced that production from the field was at lower levels than expected, a result of heavy rainfall and equipment delays.

This forced the company to downwardly revise its calendar 2007 production forecast to 120,000 barrels, about 110,000 barrels less than originally forecast.

In yesterday's announcement, Drillsearch said its actual production result for 2007 was slightly less than the revised forecast, down to 114,059 barrels, with December daily output figures reaching 453 barrels of oil per day.

Drillsearch attributed the lower output result to a pipeline shutdown in the Cooper Basin.

"The projection did not include the Moonie-to-Brisbane Pipeline (MBP) break, which occurred in late July and dropped production an estimated 10,000 barrels per month to 5953 barrels in August and 8502 barrels in September," the company said.

"If the production trend had continued without interruption from the MBP, it is our geologist's estimate that we would have exceeded our 120,000 barrel projection."

The company added that December production levels were more in line with earlier projections.