Senex Energy to commence gas exploration at Silver Star-1 in Cooper Basin, Australia

Senex Energy is set to commence drilling of the Silver Star-1 gas exploration well in the South Australian Cooper Basin to target the material gas volumes.

The Silver Star-1 well is expected to cost approximately $15m and forms part of the work programme being progressed by Senex in joint venture with Origin Energy.

Senex managing director and CEO Ian Davies opined that this drilling programme exhibits the company’s commitment towards onshore gas exploration.

Davies said: “The Silver Star-1 well is an exciting step in the $252 million Senex and Origin Energy exploration project agreed in 2014 to unlock material high-risk gas acreage in the South Australian Cooper Basin.

“The areas on which we are focused have multi-Tcf potential, and gas exploration programmes such as this are crucial to unlocking more supply for the east coast market.”

Silver Star-1 (PEL 638) is the first drilling location in the northern area of Senex’s joint venture with Origin Energy.

The staged programme is targeting material volumes of basin centred and stratigraphic gas in the Patchawarra and Allunga Troughs.

Senex has 53.75% interest in and operates PEL 638, while Origin Energy has 33.75% stake and Planet Gas has 12.5% interest.

Silver Star-1 is a high-impact gas exploration well located in the northern Cooper Basin and is expected to be drilled to a depth of approximately 3,600m, with a potential lateral section of up to 1,500m.

The well follows the drilling of Efficient-1 and Ethereal-1 in the southern Cooper Basin, which were both cased and suspended having successfully intersected stratigraphically trapped tight gas in the Permian sandstones.

The wells were both fracture stimulated and production tested, with the next step to complete a nitrogen lift test on the Ethereal-1 well to increase gas production.

Senex will provide further information on its drilling activity in its monthly drilling report, to be released in early April.