Offshore staff
ADELAIDE, Australia – Santos has discovered oil with its Pavo-1 exploration well offshore Western Australia.
The jackup Noble Tom Prosser drilled the well in 88 m (289 ft) of water in the WA-438-P permit, 46 km (28.6 mi) east of the Dorado oilfield in the Bedout sub-basin, offshore Western Australia.
During drilling on the northern culmination of the greater Pavo structure, the well encountered a 60-m (197-ft) gross hydrocarbon column in the main Caley member reservoir target.
Wireline data has confirmed 46 m (151 ft) of net oil pay, with an oil-water contact at 3,004 m (9,855 ft) measured depth (MD). Logs indicate permeabilities in the 100 to 1,000 millidarcy range and hydrocarbon saturations of 80%, similar to the findings for Dorado field.
Rig site analysis suggests a light sweet oil (~52°API) with a low gas-oil ratio.
Drilling continues to the planned TD of around 4,200 m (13,779 ft), with the focus being on Early Triassic and Upper Permian stratigraphy not previously drilled in the basin (in order to de-risk other gas and oil prospects in the sub-basin).
Santos estimates the 2C contingent resource for the northern culmination at 43 MMbbl of oil, adding that the result also de-risks the hydrocarbon bearing potential of the separate southern culmination of the greater Pavo structure (estimated at 40 MMbbl).
Once wireline logging operations have finished, the well will be permanently P&A’d with the rig transferring 20 km (12.4 mi) to the southwest to drill the Apus-1 well.
Santos Managing Director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said: “The Pavo-1 success is expected to support a potential low-cost tieback to the first phase of the proposed Dorado development, with Pavo north having an estimated breakeven cost of less than $10/bbl, and future gas production from the Bedout basin providing a source of supply into our existing domestic gas infrastructure in Western Australia.”
Gallagher added: “It is also very encouraging for the next exploration well in the current campaign, Apus-1, which offers another potential nearby low-cost tie-in opportunity to the Dorado development.”
3/23/2022
