Origin Energy’s Speculant-1 exploration well has discovered potentially commercial quantities of gas in Waarre Formation reservoirs in Australia’s Otway Basin, offshore Victoria within the Origin-operated VIC/L1(v) permit.

The Speculant discovery is a tilted fault block structure covering more than 7 sq km (2.7 sq miles) in a nearshore section off the Otway coast, according to a press release from Origin. The discovery sits immediately north of the Halladale and Black Watch fields previously discovered by Origin in 2006.

LWD data acquired during the drilling of the well indicate the presence of potentially commercial quantities of gas within excellent-quality sands of the Waarre Formation. This formation contains sands over a gross interval of about 100 m (328 ft) vertical thickness, according to the release.

Wireline formation pressure data have confirmed the presence of a gas column of approximately 145 m (475.7 ft) within the Waarre C Formation. Further evaluation of secondary targets is currently underway. The Speculant-1 exploration well spudded on Sept. 23, 2014, according to Origin.

The Speculant-1 well is situated approximately 3 km (2 miles) off the southern Victorian coastline, about 30 km (18.6 miles) southeast of Warrnambool. Extended-reach drilling technology is being employed to access offshore gas reservoirs. The well is being drilled using the rig Ensign 931 in conjunction with the development drilling of the Halladale Field.