Gas has flowed to surface at the Kingston Rule-1 unconventional gas exploration well in Australia a constrained rate of 1.2MMcf/d during clean up and flow back activities, Senex Energy reported.

Kingston Rule-1 is located in southern Cooper basin permit PEL 115 (Senex, operator, 80% and Orca Energy, 20%) on the western flank of the Mettika Embayment.

In the last week, Senex successfully fracture stimulated four zones in the Patchawarra formation tight gas sands and one zone in the Epsilon formation, the company said. Gas flow from the well has been constrained by a 32/64-inch choke and wellhead pressure continues to increase. Flow rates increased steadily during flow back and reached 1.2 MMscfd on March 10.

Clean up and flow back activities will continue over the next week, with gas being flared from Kingston Rule-1, the company said. Samples from the gas flow have also been taken to measure condensate and heavy gas yields.

Kingston Rule-1 was drilled in late 2012 to a total depth of 2,872 m (9,423 ft) and intersected 53 m (174 ft) of net gas pay, with 9 m (30 ft) of pay in the Epsilon formation and 44 m (144 ft) of pay in the Patchawarra formation tight gas sands, Senex reported. The well also intersected 150 m (492 ft) of shale and close to 20 m (66ft) of gas charged coal in the Patchawarra formation, with mud logs confirming the presence of liquids rich hydrocarbons in the Permian section.
The first well in this campaign to be fracture stimulated, Skipton-1, has commenced initial flowback. Further testing will continue following the arrival of a completions rig, which has been delayed by a recent rain event. Clean up and flow back activities will continue over the next week, with initial results expected in coming weeks.