Buru Energy has advised that mobilisation of the Ensign 963 drilling rig has commenced with the first 14 loafs expected to arrive at the Currajong-1 well site today.
The rig is being mobilised from Kayla in the Northern Territory and mobilisation of all equipment to the Currajong site, Western Australia, is expected to take two weeks.
The Currajong-1 well is located 30km to the west of the Ungani production facility with access to the site from the southern end of the Ungani access road.
Work on the well site was completed earlier this week with the installation of the rig pad impervious liner and the installation of the cuttings sump impervious liner and bentonite lining.
The contract for the rig was executed prior to mobilisation commencing and the contracts for ancillary oilfield contract services have all been approved and are being executed as required for mobilisation.
The company further outlined that the mobilisation of the camp to support the operation is nearing completion, with it to be fully operational by June 1.
Currajong-1 is the first of two exploration wells to be drilled under the farmin agreement with Origin Energy.
Buru expects that the Currajong-1 well will be spudded in mid-June when the rig and ancillary services mobilisation is completed and the Ensign rig has been assembled and function tested.
The second well in the program, Rafael-1, is expected to begin drilling in late July or early August.
Initial work on the Rafael-1 well pad and access road has been completed and mobilisation of Buru and contractor personnel to completed the work will commence in the coming weeks.
Executive chairman Eric Streitberg said the drilling program is on track with the preparation, planning, contract negotiation and execution completed.
“This program represents a new beginning for exploration in the Canning Basin with the potential for discovery of nationally significant quantities of oil in the drilling program is successful in a strong oil price environment,” he said.