Second well test begins on Antelope-5 in PNG

Total E&P PNG, the operator of Petroleum Retention License 15 (PRL15) in the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea, has advised that the second planned extended well test has commenced at Antelope-5, InterOil Corp, a partner in the project, announced.

The extended well test will flow Antelope-5 at approximately 50 million standard cu ft/day for approximately two weeks before being shut in to record the subsequent pressure buildup. Pressure gauges have been placed in Antelope-1 as an observer well. The test is expected to take approximately one month to complete.

InterOil Chief Executive Michael Hession said the initial flow test conducted in June 2015 provided a good indication of the minimum connected volume in Antelope. This second test aims to further support those findings. “In order to improve the certainty of the minimum connected volume, we have added additional pressure gauges, and we plan to flow five times more gas than we did in our initial test last year,” Dr Hession said.

InterOil has also been advised by Total that the Antelope-6 appraisal well, located 2 km east-south-east to the Antelope-3 well, was preparing to drill ahead at 1,120 m (3,674 ft) true vertical depth subsea. Antelope-6 spudded on 23 December 2015 and has a proposed total depth of approximately 2,464 m (8,084 ft) true vertical depth subsea.

The PRL15 joint venturers are discussing an additional appraisal well to the west of Antelope-5. The decision whether to drill a further appraisal well will follow the evaluation of the Antelope-6 appraisal well and the results of the latest flow test at Antelope-5.