Beach Energy's Moonta-1 Records Highest Flow Rate

Beach Energy has said that its Moonta-1 unconventional vertical well flowed gas at a  maximum controlled rate of 2.6 MMscfd and is currently flowing at 1.6 MMscfd.

Moonta-1 has achieved the highest flow rate of the three PEL 218 Permian unconventional gas exploration wells flow tested to date.  The intial two shale gas wells, Encounter-1 and Holdfast-1, both had peak gas flow rates of approximately 2.1 MMscfd and were stimulated in the REM section, with a single stage in the uppermost Patchawarra Formation. 

The drilling of the vertical seciton of the Holdfast-2 well has now completed, with the well now deviating toward the Murteree Shale target zone.    The well is  located approximately one kilometre north-east of Holdfast-1 and is drilling ahead at 3,163 metres.  The well is on track to reach total depth prior to the end of February 2013 and will be fracture stimulated, in up to 15 stages in April 2013, as part of the second batch stimulation program