Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has provided final approvals to BP for drilling of the Ironbark-1 well.
Cue Energy, one
of the partners in the WA-359-P permit where Ironbark is located, said that BP –
as the operator of the permit – was making final preparations for the handover
of the Ocean Apex drilling rig, set to occur in October.
According to
the company, the Well Operations Management Plan and the Safety Case for the
Ocean Apex drilling rig were the final regulatory documents required to be
approved by NOPSEMA. Both of these documents have now been approved.
Mobilisation
of the Ocean Apex drilling rig for the Ironbark-1 well is expected to start mid-October,
with drilling expected to begin by the end of October.
Exploration
permit WA-359-P is located in the Carnarvon Basin, offshore Western Australia, some
50 kilometres from the existing North West Shelf LNG infrastructure.
The
Ironbark-1 well is expected to drill to approximately 5,500 metres and will be
the first test of the Ironbark gas prospect.
Cue also
stated that it was fully funded for its expected participating interest costs
of the well through funding from farm-in agreements with partners BP, Beach
Energy, and New Zealand Oil & Gas and some $8 million of cash reserves
which have been escrowed.
The WA-359-P
joint venture operator is BP which holds a 42.5 per cent interest the other
three partners – Cue Energy, Beach Energy, and New Zealand Oil & Gas – hold
21.5, 21, and 15 per cent respectively.
There are some worthy reminders regarding this project. Namely, BP picked the Ocean Apex for drilling of Ironbark back in February 2019. Drilling was set for late 2020 and the rig was a perfect choice since it had prior engagements.
From early
May 2019 until late July 2019, the rig worked for Woodside. Then, it worked for
Shell on a one-well contract. After that, Ocean Apex returned to work for
Woodside from early January 2020 until late September 2020.
BP’s environment plan for the Ironbark-1 exploration well was approved by NOPSEMA in July 2020 and, just last month, the oil major chartered three Solstad Offshore’s vessels to support the company’s Ironbark drilling campaign.
More
precisely, BP awarded contracts for two anchor handling tug and supply vessels –
the Normand Saracen and Far Senator – and the Normand Leader platform supplier.
The post BP to begin Ironbark drilling in late October appeared first on Offshore Energy.
Source: LNG World News