ConocoPhillips is planning production testing on its latest Barossa field appraisal wells in the Bonaparte Basin, offshore Australia's Northern Territory, to support field development planning.
According to partner Santos, positive results from the two-well appraisal campaign on Barossa make the field a "lead candidate" to supply backfill gas to the Darwin LNG project, with front end engineering and design expected to start in early 2018.
Santos says well logs and pressure data from Barossa-5 and Barossa-6, 300km north of Darwin, confirmed that the primary Elang reservoir section is gas saturated and in pressure communication with previous wells drilled on the Barossa field, said Santos.
The Elang reservoir interval in Barossa-6 is similar to the high quality reservoir penetrated in the offset Barossa-3 well, drilled in 2014, 4.3km to the east.
Barossa-6 flowed gas and condensate from an interval between 4103-4144m at a maximum rate of 65 MMscf/d on a 68/64in choke, said Santos. A condensate gas ratio of 7 b/MMscf was measured at surface with gas composition analysis indicating inerts were as expected. The well flow rate was constrained by test facilities. Multiple hydrocarbon samples were collected for further analysis.
Santos holds a 25% interest in the Barossa-Caldita joint venture along with partners ConocoPhillips (37.5% and operator) and SK E&S (37.5%). Santos is also a joint venture partner in Darwin LNG with an 11.5% interest.