Senex Energy Ltd. began a fracture stimulation program on five unconventional gas exploration wells in the South Australian Cooper basin, beginning with Skipton-1 in PEL 516 (Senex 100%), the company said in a press release. The program aims to delineate unconventional gas resources in several Senex permits in the southern and northern South Australian Cooper basin.

Senex successfully drilled three new unconventional gas exploration wells in its southern permits (Skipton-1, Kingston Rule-1, and Talaq-1). A fourth well, Paning-2 in the northern Cooper basin, was successfully drilled and is currently being cased. Senex observed significant zones of net gas pay within all of these wells, according to the press release.

This program involves fracture stimulation and flow testing of these wells, along with the existing Hornet-1 well, which flowed gas to surface during drilling in 2004. Senex said the program will provide information on post-fracture production rates and detailed information to allow the refinement of fracture stimulation design within tight gas sands, shales, and deep coals in the Cooper basin.

In particular, the program seeks to determine the fracture complexity and orientation within both the primary target Patchawarra formation sands and the secondary targets of Roseneath, Epsilon, and Murteree shale and tight sand package and the Toolachee and Patchawarra coals.

Senex managing director Ian Davies said the fracture stimulation program would provide valuable information for the appraisal and testing of its unconventional gas assets in the Cooper basin. “For Senex this is another major step forward in the appraisal of our highly prospective unconventional gas assets,” he said.

Senex expects the current program will result in the certification of material contingent resources, it said in the press release. Measurement of gas flows from these wells will influence the design and location of pilot programs required for longer term production testing and reserves certification.