Strike Energy tests high-rate North Perth basin well

Strike Energy Ltd. successfully flow tested the Erregulla Deep-1 (ED-1) discovery well in EP469 in Western Australia’s onshore North Perth basin.

ED-1, the deepest well onshore Australia, was drilled into an interpreted structural closure adjacent and due east of existing reserves at West Erregulla gas field and on trend with the Lockyer and North Erregulla gas discoveries, Strike said.

The well has 24 m of perforations across the Kingia from 4,805 m TVDSS and 12 m of perforations across the High Cliff from 4,850 m TVDSS. The well flow tested the Kingia gas discovery individually and the High Cliff gas discovery via a comingled test.

Multirate flow testing and buildups with downhole gauges and production logging were conducted over the last 20 days. The well performed strongly over the duration of the test showing high reservoir pressure and high permeability in the Kingia sandstone. On a standalone test, the Kingia produced at a maximum instantaneous rate of 60 MMcfd and a stabilized rate of 53 MMcfd on a 46/64-in. choke at 5,515 psi flowing tubing head pressure.

Throughout the test, no sand or produced formation water were observed. Gas is low impurity dry gas which is in line with gas samples retrieved downhole. This includes a lower CO₂ content (about 4%) and lower other impurities than measured at West Erregulla gas field, the company said.

Because ED-1 could be a future producer for the upcoming West Erregulla gas field development, testing rates were kept within a conservative range to maintain well infrastructure integrity. An absolute open flow calculation indicates that the well could produce at a maximum rate of 400-450 MMscfd, the company said.

Testing of the High Cliff zone was inhibited by the quality of the Kingia gas discovery, where insufficient drawdown of only about 270 psi could be achieved before reaching the pre-agreed testing limit. This was supported by a production logging tool which showed the Kingia gas flows were likely backing out the High Cliff production. The High Cliff gas discovery, where samples and permeability have been confirmed, will be reserved for a second phase of the well’s life which may include the zone of high prospectivity encountered in the Irwin River Coal Measures.

Strike Energy is operator (50%) of the EP469/L25 Joint Venture with partner Warrego Energy 469 Pty Ltd. (50%).