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    Up to 16 wells in prospect at Dorado offshore Australia

    July 22, 2020
    Carnarvon Petroleum has provided details of planned facilities for the Dorado oil and gas field development in the Bedout basin offshore Western Australia, operated by Santos.
    (Courtesy Santos)
    Proposed schematic of the Dorado field development offshore Australia.
    Proposed schematic of the Dorado field development offshore Australia.

    Offshore staff

    WEST PERTH, Australia – Carnarvon Petroleum has provided details of planned facilities for the Dorado oil and gas field development in the Bedout basin offshore Western Australia, operated by Santos.

    The field was discovered in July 2018, 160 km (99.4 mi) north of Port Hedland, with various successful well tests following.

    During 2Q 2020 the project entered the pre-FEED phase. According to Carnarvon, the focus of the preferred initial development concept is on extracting the liquids (oil and condensate), with gas and LPGs re-injected initially before potentially being produced under a second-stage development.

    Stage 1 calls for a normally unmanned, single wellhead platform (WHP) with minimal processing in 90 m (295 ft) of water, connected to (and controlled from) an FPSO 2 km (1.2 mi) away via subsea flowlines and control umbilicals.

    The WHP will be able to accommodate up to 16 individual wells from a single drill center. During the initial development phase, gas will be reinjected via some of these wells into the reservoir to enhance oil recovery.

    Carnarvon expects the final investment decision on the project in 2021.

    The same partners co-commissioned last year’s Keraudren 3D seismic survey over the Dorado and Roc fields and surrounding area. Data received so far has improved the visibility of key geological intervals associated within the hydrocarbon zones, Carnarvon said. And mapping of the Apus and Pavo prospects has confirmed their structural integrity.

    Carnarvon operates the Buffalo project offshore Timor-Leste with a 100% interest, and has recently performed additional technical work to assess follow-up potential related to a redevelopment of the Buffalo oil field.

    The focus of the geochemistry study has been on the Triassic prospectivity and source rock potential, and to de-risk the charge concepts for various Triassic targets, including Buffalo Deep (beneath the Buffalo field).

    07/22/2020