Oz Empire Energy Mobilises Rig for Beetaloo Drilling

Sydney-listed Empire Energy announced on September 10 that the Schlumberger Land Rigs 183 rig had started mobilisation to the Carpentaria-1 well site in permit EP187 in Northern Territory's Beetaloo basin. It expects drilling to begin in the second half of this month.

“The planned 2,900-m well, will be drilled, logged, cored, cased and suspended, representing a major step forward in Empire’s assessment of the eastern Beetaloo sub-basin and the further appraisal of the known productive horizons within the thick Kyalla Shale and Velkerri Shale sequences which have been demonstrated to be hydrocarbon productive in Santos Limited and Origin Energy Limited wells to the west,” the company said.

Empire intends to re-enter Carpentaria-1 after the wet season to carry out a vertical fracture stimulation and extended production test. The company last month raised A$10mn (US$7.2mn) through share placement to further its exploration programme at Beetaloo.

The development of the Beetaloo oil and gas fields has been highlighted by the Northern Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission as central to plans for a strong and prosperous industrial future for the state, Empire said.

Empire is a junior oil and gas producer and explorer with onshore oil and gas shale assets. It’s 100%-owned subsidiary Imperial Oil & Gas holds acreage position in the McArthur-Beetaloo basins.