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- Buru Energy (BRU) confirms the presence of natural gas in WA’s Canning Basin thanks to “encouraging” results from its half-owned Currajong 1 well
- BRU has installed the well’s casing string and completed pressure testing before drilling ahead, with wireline logs acquired over the open hole section
- The wireline logs indicate porous zones and potential oil-bearing zones, however these interpretations will be validated in upcoming flow testing
- Executive Chairman Eric Streitberg says the detection of natural hydrogen in the well could potentially make the site a valuable future resource
- Shares closed at 13 cents on August 4
Buru Energy (BRU) has confirmed the presence of natural gas in Western Australia’s Canning Basin thanks to “encouraging” results from its half-owned Currajong 1 well.
Operational update
The company has reportedly installed the well’s 244-millimetre casing string to a measured depth of 1950 metres and completed pressure testing.
The well has since been drilled ahead in a 216-millimetre hole to a total measured depth of 2340 metres, with wireline logs acquired over the open hole section.
Geological results
Accordingly, wireline logs at Currajong 1 have indicated porous zones with interpreted oil saturations at the top of the Ungani Dolomite equivalent section.
Potential oil-bearing zones are also present in a lower dolomite section, equivalent to the porous interval seen in the nearby Praslin 1 well.
However, the wireline log interpretations will need to be validated by flow testing. The joint venture has therefore agreed to run 178-millimetre casing to perform a cased hole test of the interpreted reservoir sections.
Additionally, a specialised hydrogen mudgas detection unit installed on the well’s rig has detected a zone of up to six per cent hydrogen in mudgas over an interval of roughly six metres from 2014 metres measured depth.
Buru Energy Executive Chairman Eric Streitberg said the result was promising and confirmed the presence of natural hydrogen in the Canning Basin.
“The results so far at Currajong 1 are very encouraging, and we look forward to the production test to confirm the interpretation of the well results to date,” he said.
“The detection of natural hydrogen in the well also validates our view that this could represent a valuable future resource.
“The next well in the exploration program, Rafael 1, is targeting a geologically distinct formation to Currajong 1 with significantly larger potential resources and we are very much looking forward to drilling that prospect.”
Next steps
The rig at Currajong 1 will be released once the casing installation is complete, which is anticipated by the end of this week.
The rig will then be mobilised over two weeks to the Rafael 1 drilling location.
The joint venture is planning the scope and timing of the Currajong 1 testing program to be carried out as soon as practicable.
Buru Energy shares closed at 13 cents on August 4, 2021.
