Western Gas is delighted to have secured government approvals to drill the Sasanof-1 exploration well on the North West Shelf.
Western Gas said that “this significant milestone” follows formal advice from NOPSEMA that the company’s proposed well operations management plan had satisfied government requirements pertaining to health, safety and well integrity aspects.
The well is planned to be permanently plugged and abandoned on completion of drilling and data acquisition activities.
Acceptance of the plan follows came after NOPSEMA had in December approved the Valaris MS-1 semi-submersible drilling rig to drill the Sasanof-1 well, clearing the path for Western Gas and contractors AGR, Valaris and XODUS Group, to bring the Sasanof-1 well into the starting gates.
The drilling campaign is planned to start in the second quarter of this year targeting the multi tcf, high-liquids, low CO₂ Sasanof resource.
“It is a great reflection of our highly capable, focussed team and supporting project partners that we have been able to secure all approvals in a timely manner and enable the drilling of this high impact well,” said Western Gas Executive Director Will Barker.
“All efforts are now focused on finalising remaining contracts, preparing for operations and delivering a safe and successful exploration effort for the Western Gas team and our well campaign partners Global Oil and Gas and Prominence Energy.”
The Sasanof Prospect covers an area of up to 400 km² and is on trend and updip of Western Gas’ liquids rich, low C0₂ Mentorc Field.
ERCE estimates the Sasanof Prospect to contain a 2U Prospective Resource of 7.2 Tcf gas and 176 Million bbls condensate (P501), with a high case 3U Prospective Resource estimate of 17.8 Tcf gas and 449 Million bbls condensate (P101).
Sasanof is a large, seismic amplitude supported, structural-stratigraphic trap in the high-quality reservoir sands at the top of the Cretaceous top Lower Barrow Group formation on the Barrow Delta within the Exmouth Plateau. Sasanof-1 will be Western Gas’ first well drilled from its extensive exploration portfolio surrounding the existing Equus Gas Project that contains a discovered resource of 2 Tcf and 42 MMbbl (2C Gaffney Cline2). The Equus Gas Project has a historic exploration drilling success rate of 88%, with 15 discoveries from 17 wells.
