Drillsearch Begins Cooper Basin Shale Drilling

Drillsearch Energy has commenced the initial four-well shale gas and tight sands drilling program in joint jenture with QGC in Central Cooper Basin.

The joint venture announced that the first well in the Drillsearch-operated ATP 940P was spudded Thursday.

ATP 940P is located in the Central Cooper Basin Nappamerri Trough Shale Gas Fairway in Southwest Queensland. Drillsearch as operator holds a 40% interest with QGC holding 60%.

The four well program - Anakin-1, Charal-1, Padme-1 and Amidala-1 - will be drilled over the next year and will test the potential for gas production from unconventional shale and tight gas zones in the Nappamerri Trough in the Central Cooper Basin.

The primary targets of the drilling program are the shales of the Permian Roseneath and Murteree Formations and the sandstones of the Permian Patchawarra Formation. The secondary targets are the Sandstones of the Permian Daralingie, Toolachee and Epsilon Formations and Tirrawarra Sandstone.

The drilling program will also test the 'basin-centred gas' pay interval reported by Beach Energy to be present in this part of the Nappamerri Trough of the Cooper Basin.

The completion of this drilling program is anticipated by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2014.