The Bauer-19 deviated development well in PPL 253 within PEL 91 has been cased and suspended as a future McKinlay and Namur oil producer, after intersecting net oil pay within the Namur Sandstone as well as a 4-m (13-ft) gross interval of oil bearing McKinlay Member, Beach Energy said in a news release.

Beach has a 40% interest and the operator is Drillsearch Energy, which has 60% interest.

Bauer-19 was the third well in a six-well development campaign at Bauer. The well intersected the top of the Namur reservoir 4.7 m (15.4 ft) high to prognosis. The 8.7-m (28.5-ft) Namur oil column is better than the pre-drill prediction of 4 m (13-ft), and this result may increase the estimated ultimate recovery of oil from the Bauer Field, Beach said in the release.

Bauer-19 is the first well to reach total depth as part of a four-well pad development. The Ensign 965 rig delivered a Cooper Basin record, taking only 14 hours from completing the top hole in Bauer-18 to the spud of Bauer-19. The pad drilling technique is being undertaken to reduce footprint, time and resultant costs, the release said.

Beach anticipates that production levels within PEL 91 will remain strong as a result of:

  • The aforementioned development program;
  • New facilities such as CKS (Congony-Kalladeina-Sceale) coming online;
  • The facility expansion at Bauer moving from 50,000 bbl/d fluid handling to 75,000 bbl/d; and
  • Further exploration and appraisal wells planned for H2 FY15, the release said.

In addition, Beach said a flow test was completed at Stunsail-1 prior to the well being brought online. The well flowed from the top Namur / Mckinlay at a rate of 6,768 bbl/d of oil and from the Mid Namur at 1,152 bbl/d for a combined total of 7,920 bbl/d. The wellhead pressure was 253 psi through a fully open 64/64-in. choke setting, the release said.

The Ensign 965 rig is drilling ahead at Bauer-16 and, after reaching total depth, will finish drilling the final two wells from the Bauer pad.