Senex Energy spuds Panning-2 well in northern Cooper Basin, Australia

Australia-based Senex Energy has begun drilling the Panning-2 unconventional gas exploration well in northern Cooper Basin permit PEL 90, Australia.

Senex will drill the well to a total depth of 3,175m. Currently a depth of 751m has been reached using Weatherford Rig 826, which is also carrying out 13 3/8in of casing.

Located 1.2 km south-west of Paning-1, the Panning-2 well covers over 36km² and was drilled by Delhi Petroleum as a conventional gas exploration well in 1980.

Senex expects potential gas reserves of about 2.1 trillion cubic feet in the deep coal seams of Paning-2, which was the first exploration well to test the potential of the Permian tight sand order.

Drilling of Paning-2 well will be carried out to test the domal structure up-dip of Paning-1 at the top of the Patchawarra Formation.

The principal targets will include the sandstones in the Toolachee, Epsilon and Patchawarra Formations and thick coal seams in the Toolachee Formation.

In addition, the Tirrawarra Sandstone, which lies beneath the Patchawarra Formation has tight sand play.

Under the project, Paning-2 will test huge Permian coals, which are present along the Patchawarra Trough, where the company holds massive acreage position.

The coal present in Paning -1 well is about 30m thick, with a total coal thickness in the well of about 57m. Similar thickness of coal is expected in Paning-2 well.

Statistics from Permian coals cored from previous Senex wells indicate gas contents of about 600 standard cubic feet per tonne.

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Image: Senex Energy has begun drilling of Panning-2 unconventional gas exploration well in northern Cooper Basin permit PEL 90, Australia. Photo: ShavPS.