Venus-1 pilot nears completion

Strata-X Energy and Real Energy have reached a total depth of 715m at the Venus-1 well within the Surat Basin Walloon coal seam gas (CSG) fairway, Queensland.

The joint venture advised that the well has now been suspended and the Silver City Drilling rig is being demobilised following good gas shows being recorded in the uppermost 3-5m thick coal seams, with fair to good gas shows in the deeper thinner coal seams.

Strata-X outlined that following logging over the weekend, the upper Juandah coals were underreamed, with a liner run over the underreamed section and a wellhead installed.

The results of the well will then be integrated into a coli tubing-deployed reservoir stimulation program designed to improve water influx and gas flows from the targeted gassy coals.

“To compare the before after stimulation results, a pre-and post-simulation short-term controlled water influx test will be carried out,” Strata-X reported.

The post-stimulation water influx rate and other data are needed to design optimum production equipment and methods for Venus-1 as required to carry out a controlled drawdown production pilot flow test over several months.

The Venus-1 production pilot test is designed to prove initial gas breakout and increasing gas flows over the controlled draw down period as required to model and predict future gas flow rates and potentially commercial gas flow rates.

Results from the production pilot test will also be used to either expand the pilot or, if commercial flow rates are achieved, commence an aggressive appraisal program designed to certify sufficient reserves for the project Venus JV to secure gas sales agreements.

Strata-X chairman Ron Prefontaine said the wireline logs indicate Venus-1 encountered thicker coal seam development in the upper Juanhad Walloons that correlated with good to excellent gas readings.

“The results increase my confidence for successful long term production testing when the well is completed as the JV’s first pilot production well,” Prefontaine said.

Last week the JV spudded the Venus-1 pilot well, with Roma-based Silver City Drilling drilling the well to the top Walloon coals at about 400m, before casing it and then drilling out to a total depth of 680m.

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