Woodside Petroleum is to acquire more than 1,000 sq km of 3D seismic over the deepwater portion of a block offshore Myanmar (formerly Burma).

The Australian operator said that during the second quarter of this year it continued processing of the existing Padauk 3D marine seismic survey in Block A-6, with final processing of the data acquired expected by the first quarter of 2014. Woodside will shoot the new 3D data in the deepwater portion of neighbouring block AD-7 later this year.

The company also reported it will drill two deepwater exploration wells in the third quarter offshore Australia. The first will be spudded on the Minarelli prospect in the Carnarvon Basin off the coast of Western Australia. The probe in WA-28-L is targeting an oil prospect in 427 m (1,401 ft) of water, with the well to be drilled to a total depth of 2,295 m (7,530 ft). Woodside holds a 60% stake in the well as operator.

The other probe will be spudded in 675 m (2,215 ft) on the Stybarrow East prospect, also in the Carnarvon Basin. The well in block WA-32-L is also targeting an oil prospect and will be drilled to a total depth of 2,474 m (8,117 ft), with Woodside holding a 50% interest.