Drillsearch Energy says that the Santos-operated Ipundu North-13 (IN-13) development well has encountered significant pay and will be cased and suspended as a future oil producer in the Murta and Birkhead Formations.

The Tintaburra Block is a joint venture of Santos Ltd (89%) and DLS (11%) and is the company's largest production joint venture.

IN-13 encountered up to 1.5 meters of oil pay in the Murta sandstones and approximately 7 meters of oil pay in the middle and basal intervals of the Birkhead Formation based on preliminary interpretation. In the middle Birkhead interval IN-13 encountered a 7 meter well developed sand package not developed in offset wells and log analysis showing a 5 meters oil pay zone. IN-13 also encountered 2 meters of oil pay in a 5 meter sand package in the basal Birkhead interval similar to the producing sands in the IN-12 production well. Oil was recovered from a FMT sample in this zone.

IN-13 is the second development well in the drilling campaign and the primary target of the well was by-passed attic oil in the Murta sandstone in an up dip section of the Ipundu North Oil Field. The IN-13 well also included an exploration component targeting the deeper Birkhead Formation. IN-13 targeted recoverable oil of up to 300,000 bbls (P10) in the Murta Formation and the Wyandra sandstones which did not include the exploration potential in the Birkhead Formation.

Tags: Drillsearch Energy