Full steam ahead for Empire’s Carpentaria wells

Empire Energy

Empire Energy has confirmed that it will reopen the Carpentaria-1 well this week and restart the extended production test (EPT) operation, following the well being suspended and shut-in in July.

The EPT operations are expected to further enhance Empire’s understanding of the relative productivity of each of the Velkerri Formation shale targets (A, B, Intra A/B and C) and the gas composition of produced hydrocarbons.

The data collected will inform technical decisions and the optimum placement of the Carpentaria-2H horizontal well, and future horizontal appraisal drilling across EP187.

Empire also intends to enhance the artificial lift system at Carpentaria-1 to better determine the productivity of the Velkerri Formation shales.

The initial Carpentaria-1 vertical well EPT flowed at an instantaneous peak rate of >1.6 mmcf / day and at an averaged flow rate of 0.25 mmcf / day over a 17-day test period, during which time the well was dewatering.

The final production rate recorded was 0.25 mmcf / day prior to the shut-in of the well.

In addition, the Carpentaria-2H well is set to be drilled in late October once final Northern Territory approvals are received.

The Carpentaria-2 vertical hole section will be drilled through the Velkerri Formation shale sequence followed by an extensive formation evaluation program.

The vertical hole section will be immediately plugged back and the horizontal Carpentaria-2H hole section drilled into the Velkerri Formation shale to be high-graded by the pilot hole and Carpentaria-1 formation evaluation and production testing.

Hydraulic fracture stimulation and EPT of the Carpentaria-2H horizontal well, which will be designed to test the commercial production potential of the well, is planned to start early in the 2022 dry season once technical data has been collected and analysed.

Following drilling operations, Empire will commission an updated independent resource assessment which, in the success case, would materially upgrade contingent resources in EP187 by de-risking hydrocarbon resources in the area between Carpentaria-1 and Carpentaria-2H.

Empire further highlighted that the EP187 Charlotte 2D Seismic Survey is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.

On-ground activity will commence shortly with line clearing followed by seismic line acquisition.

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