Santos is proposing to undertake a single well exploration drilling campaign in the North West Shelf offshore Western Australia.
The company has submitted an application to drill the Dancer-1 exploration well in the WA-1-P permit area to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).
As part of the proposed well, Santos plans to undertake drilling activity using a jack-up mobile-offshore drilling unit (MODU) with support vessels and helicopters.
The company intends to drill the well in the fourth quarter of this year, with the environment plan (EP) valid until the end of 2022.
Outlined in the EP, the primary reservoir target of Dancer-1 is the Legendre formation, with the expected reservoir fluid being wet gas (gas and condensate).
In addition, the well design includes drilling top hole and surface hole sections riserless to set the conductor and surface casing respectively.
The surface wellhead and BOP will be installed and tested before the well is drilled to total depth (TD).
Santos outlined that the planned TD is 3604m. However, the TD may be less or more depending on the geology encountered and operational issues.
“The activity will also be supported by remotely operated vehicles operations and helicopter operations used primarily for crew change and medevac, and occasionally equipment and material transfers. Helicopter flights will occur a minimum of three times a week, dependent on the progress of the drilling program and logistical constraints,” Santos stated in its EP.
“Drilling activities are planned for approximately 30 days. However, contingency (up to 75 days) is provided to account for unfavourable weather, additional drilling (re-spud) or operational challenges.”
NOPSEMA has opened the application for public commenting until February 24, 2021.