Project Profile
Value: Undisclosed
Location: Southern Perth Basin, approx. 280km south of Perth, Western Australia
Reserves: 4 trillion cubic feet
Start-up Year: -
Exploration Permit EP408 in the onshore Southern Perth Basin near the town of Busselton, is approximately 280km south of Perth,Western Australia. The Permit contains the Whicher Range and Wonnerup Gas Fields which were discovered in 1968 and 1971 respectively.
The Whicher Range structure is a large, well delineated gas field. Seismic data and the drilling of five exploration/appraisal wells has defined the field, extending over 100 square kilometre area, a gross hydrocarbon column height of 650m and a OGIP resource potentially in excess of 4 trillion cubic feet. CalEnergy Resources and Whicher Range Energy have commenced workover operations in the Whicher Range Gas Field, Whicher Range Permit, EP408 located approximately 174 miles (280 kilometres) south of Perth, Western Australia.
CalEnergy Resources is presently undertaking a phased appraisal and development work program. The proposed appraisal program addresses the following key uncertainties for the Whicher Range Field:
- Ability to enhance productivity using managed pressure drilling technology
- Further reservoir characterisation and understanding
The joint venture has commenced operations by contracting a rig and is re-entering the Whicher Range-4 well. Plans are to sidetrack the well using managed pressure drilling technology. The Whicher Range field was discovered in 1968 by Union Oil, and since then the field has had five wells drilled on the structure, each confirming significant columns of gas (approx. 650 m). The most recent well, Whicher Range-5, was drilled in 2000. The reservoir has presented technical challenges to the previous operators and the current joint venture is seeking to determine if managed pressure drilling provides an enhancement to well productivity. The initial Whicher Range 1 well flowed gas at 1.9 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and the aggregate of all zones tested was 5.5 MMcf/d with low rates of water. Since this first discovery well, four further wells have been drilled, each confirming the presence of significant volumes of gas. Unfortunately, further attempts to stimulate the reservoir to increase productivity have encountered difficulties on each occasion.
GeoPetro Resources sold its interest in EP 408 and EP 381 to Whicher Range Energy for cash consideration and a Petroleum Sales Royalty Payment equal to 25% of the future annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization from the property interests up to a total amount of US$2,200,000. Whicher Range Energy subsequently farmed out a portion of its interest acquired from GeoPetro to CalEnergy Resources who is the operator of the EP 408 permit.
Operators:
CalEnergy Resources: Operator with 85.6% interest
Whicher Range Energy: 14.4% interest