Baraka Energy to Expand its Northern Territory Acreage

Baraka Energy & Resources has applied for renewal of Exploration Permit EP128 in the Georgina Basin, Northern Territory, Australia.

The company said it has reached the decision “after an extended period of discussions and communications, together with the support of Petrofrontier Corp and Statoil Australia Theta.”

According to Baraka, both Petrofrontier and Statoil, as a result of not discovering hydrocarbons of sufficient quantity, quality or sufficient porosity from the limited wells drilled and completed, have elected to withdraw from both permits, for their respective reasons.

“It is important to note that the McIntyre 2H well, initially drilled by Petrofrontier on EP127, indicated high gas readings during drilling, however after fraccing this was unable to be investigated further due to the well producing excessive water and hydrogen sulphide (H2S), and was suspended for safety reasons,” Bakraka said.  “Statoil were predominantly seeking a large unconventional shale basin similar to those basins in USA/Canada, in an area representing some 13 million acres, including the 2 permits controlled by Petrofrontier and Statoil. Only 5 wells were drilled in the eastern area of all the permits, and although they were unsuccessful, this leaves an enormous area yet to be explored.”

EP127 and EP128 combined represent some 8 million of those acres, of which Baraka previously had a 25 percent working interest.

Based on independent oil and gas consultant reports from RISC and Ryder Scott there are a number of conventional oil and gas targets throughout the basin.

Baraka added that based discussions with Petrofrontier and Statoil, the company will also lodge an application for renewal of EP127 in its own right as 100 percent permit holder in due course.