Roc Discovery Offshore Western Australia Could Hold 372 Bcf of Gas

The Roc discovery in the Canning Basin off the coast of Western Australia has been estimated to contain a recoverable resource of up to 372 Bcf of gas and 18 million barrels of condensate, one of the JV partners, Carnarvon Petroleum, said Thursday.

On 4 January 2016, Carnarvon announced that the Roc-1 well had discovered condensate-rich gas. Roc-1 well follows the Phoenix South-1 oil discovery drilled in late 2014, approximately 20 kilometres to the North West of Roc-1, by the same joint venture partners as the Roc-1 well. 

The field contains additional prospective resources of 328 Bscf of gas and 16 million barrels of condensate recoverable.

Joint venture partners have unanimously agreed that the Roc discovery warrants appraisal and planning is underway to drill a Roc-2 appraisal well early in the second half of calendar 2016 to confirm the higher volumes.   

“The Roc-2 well will seek to prove that gas and condensate exists down to the gas water contact,” Carnarvon Managing Director and CEO, Adrian Cook said.

Roc-2 has been assessed as a relatively low risk appraisal well with a successful outcome being a significant step forward in supporting a development hub for gas and liquids (oil and condensate) that also opens up the province to additional development and appraisal projects, he said.

The Roc prospective and contingent resources are within the WA-437-P exploration permit in the North West Shelf of Australia. The equity interest holders are: Carnarvon Petroleum 20%; Quadrant Energy (Operator) 40%; JX Nippon 20%; Finder Exploration 20%.