Project Profile
Location: Western flank of the South Australian Cooper basin, Australia
Production: 500 bpd
Start-up Year: 2010
Snatcher oilfield is located on the western flank of the South Australian Cooper basin. Appraisal activities at the Snatcher oil field ceased in January 2010 following a flood of the Cooper Basin that inundated the field and isolated the two producing oil wells, Snatcher-1 and Snatcher-2. Senex regained access to the field in late 2011 and work commenced in January 2012 to reinstate production from these wells and complete a third well, Snatcher-3, for production. New hydraulic pumping units are currently being installed at Snatcher-1 and Snatcher-2 to reinstate production of the rod-pumped wells, with the flood damaged beam pumps remaining in-situ but non-operational.
Planned development work at Snatcher oil field was expected to result in a rapid increase in production from the field in the 2012/13 financial year. Before the field was inundated in 2010, Snacher-1 and Snatcher-2 were producing more than 500 barrels of oil per day (gross) from the mid Birkhead channel sands. It is expected to reinstate production from those wells within May 2012. Senex and Beach have agreed to drill two new appraisal wells, Snatcher-4 and Snatcher-5 at the field with drilling at Snatcher-4 expected to commence within May 2012.
The Snatcher field is adjacent to the Santos-operated Charo oil field in PPL177.
Operators:
Senex: Operator with 60% interest
Beach Oil Company: 40% interest
Contractors:
Ensign: Drilling rig