Buru Energy spuds Ungani-8 horizontal well onshore Canning basin

Perth-based Buru Energy Ltd. has spudded the Ungani-8H development well in the Ungani oil field in Production License L21 in onshore Canning basin of northwest Western Australia, 90km east of Broome.

The surface location of the new horizontal well is about 700m north-northwest of the Ungani-1 and -2 wellheads and the field’s production infrastructure. It is planned to intersect the reservoir about 500 m laterally from the wellhead.

Buru said the No. 8 well has been designed to access undrained oil in a crestal location within the northeastern sector of the central fault block on the field.

Previous attempts to reach this location (Ungani-6H and -6H ST1 drilled in 2019) failed due to operational issues.

The well plan for Ungani-8H is to intersect the Ungani dolomite reservoir at least 50 m above the original oil-water contact at a depth of 2,065 m.

Once the top of the reservoir is reached, the well will be drilled horizontally through the reservoir section and be completed barefoot without casing.

Buru expects this will provide the optimum flow path and production volumes.

The company said lessons from the failed Ungani-6H and ST1 attempts have been heeded and the new well will be drilled with larger hole and casing sizes. The design also provides contingency for additional casing strings.

Buru’s executive chairman, Eric Streitberg, said that apart from getting additional production from the field, Ungani-8H will provide valuable information about its remaining production potential.

Produced oil from Ungani is trucked north to an 80,000-bbl storage tank at the Port of Wyndham on Cambridge Gulf. The oil is purchased free-on-board by BP Singapore Pte. Ltd. and taken to Asian refineries.

Buru Energy is operator of Ungani field with 50% interest. Roc Oil (Canning) Pty. Ltd. has the remaining 50%.