Empire Energy’s Carpentaria-1 vertical well in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin has flowed gas to surface at rates that have exceeded expectations.
The company advised that the flow rates achieved to date at Carpentaria-1 compare favourably to other wells drilled and flow tested in the Beetaloo Basin, given the reduced development costs Empire expects in the future.
The well flowed gas to surface at rates that exceed expectations including an initial peak rate of >0.5 mmscf / day and an initial stabilised rate of 0.37 mmscf / day over a 72-hour test period, and an instantaneous peak rate following a short shut in of >1.6 mmscf / day.
Carpentaria-1 well’s initial vertical flow rates have indicated that the shallower liquids-rich gas window of the Eastern side of the Beetaloo Sub-basin has the potential for commercial hydrocarbon production in future horizontal wells.
As a result, Empire is confident this may have up to 100 fracture initiation points from 20 – 30 fracture stimulation stages, rather than the four stages fracture stimulated in the Carpentaria-1 vertical well.
While Carpentaria-1 vertical flow testing operations are ongoing, Empire is continuing preparations for the drilling and completion of its first horizontal appraisal well.
In addition, Empire has successfully installed production tubing and completion equipment, and recommenced fluid flowback.
Flowback is proceeding well, indicating that the fracture stimulation of the four stages carried out in the Velkerri A, Intra A / B, B and C shales have created a fracture network within those zones which is liberating material volumes of hydrocarbons from the gas-rich target shales.
However, Empire has not yet processed the data required to assess which of the four stimulated zones is providing the greatest contribution to flow rates and the relative gas v liquids composition of each zone.