Australian Worldwide Exploration Ltd. said that preliminary analysis of wireline log and pressure data from the Waitsia-4 appraisal well has confirmed the eastern extension of the Waitsia gas field.

The operator of production licenses in the northern Perth Basin, Western Australia encountered strong gas shows across a 150-m gross interval, including the Kingia and High Cliff Sandstone reservoir targets.

The well was successfully drilled to a total depth of 3,744-m measured depth below rotary table (MDRT), having drilled through all primary and secondary targets. The Kingia reservoir was penetrated very close to prognosis at 3,379 m MDRT. Strong gas shows were encountered in the Kingia and High Cliff Sandstone intervals as well as minor shows in the Irwin River Coal Measures.

The well has been cased and suspended for future testing and production. Preparations are now underway to flow test Waitsia-2, Waitsia-3 and Waitsia-4 in the early fourth-quarter of 2017.

Preliminary interpretation of the Kingia reservoir shows excellent conventional reservoir qualities similar to those observed in Waitsia-3 and considerably better than pre-drill estimates. The gross Kingia reservoir interval of 42-m contains 21-m of net gas pay with reservoir quality similar to Waitsia-3.

The Kingia net reservoir interval in both Waitsia-3 and Waitsia-4 is more than double that observed in other wells in the field and confirms the laterally extensive nature of this excellent reservoir. The High Cliff Sandstone reservoir interval and Irwin River coal measures were gas-bearing and preliminary analysis indicates these are tight reservoirs.

Gas-water contact was not intersected in the well; however the measured total depth formation pressures indicated that the Waitsia-4 gas column is continuous with Waitsia-2, indicating a common gas-water contact in this part of the field. Two gas samples were recovered to surface from the Kingia reservoir and are currently being analyzed.