Australia's National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has given Beach Energy approval to drill the Artisan-1 exploration well in the Otway Basin.
Beach Energy proposes to drill a single exploration well (with the option to suspend and develop pending reservoir analysis) in Commonwealth waters of the Otway Basin approx. 32 km off Victoria’s south-west coast. The proposed Artisan-1 well location is at a water depth of approx. 71 m.
The operational area for the drilling program has been defined as a 2 km radius around the well location. The 2 km radius encompasses both the outer extent of mooring equipment on the seabed, and the 500 m petroleum safety zone.
The drilling activity was scheduled to commence in Q1 or Q2 2020 but has been delayed. The laying of anchors, mooring chains and surface buoys has occurred. Depending on contracting of a suitable MODU, drilling is anticipated to occur within the period from Q3 2020 to the end of 2021. The well is expected to take approx. 35 to 55 days to drill, depending on the final work program and potential operational delays.
The Artisan-1 well may be suspended for future production if commercial quantities of hydrocarbons are discovered. In this eventuality, the well will be suspended in accordance with the Well Operations Management Plan and the wellhead will be left in place to facilitate future operations. Any potential future production drilling of Artisan-1 well will be addressed under a separate Environment Plan.
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Source: NOPSEMA
