Baron Oil plc has chosen a new drill location after finding the original site unsuitable for a jack-up rig for the Chuditch-2 appraisal well, offshore Timor-Leste.
DRILL PLANS
A now completed geotechnical survey, focused on physical studies of the seabed, revealed that the initial chosen area was an irregular seabed unsuitable for a jack-up drilling rig.
The new location lies 286m to the east-northeast of the original site.
“The well will now be situated 5.1km from the site of the original Chuditch-1 discovery well in a water depth of 68m,” said Baron.
“Based on 3D seismic mapping and the results of Chuditch-1, the planned vertical appraisal well drilled at this new location is expected to encounter gas-charged reservoirs 16m shallower than at the initial location and, as a result, [subsidiary] SundaGas now predicts a taller 149m gas column in the reservoir target versus 133m predicted at the initial location.”
Baron said that all operational work related to the site survey was completed “significantly” below budget.
Drilling plans have meanwhile continued, with the company’s in-house drill team refining the well design, the start of tendering for long lead items, and ongoing design work on a Chuditch-2 well test (DST).
Talks have begun with drilling rig contractors and other third-party service providers for well construction plans.
Baron is also liaising closely with other operators in the region that are expected to drill wells in locations relatively nearby.
The company said it continued discussions with “a number” of potential funding partners.