Melbana seeking new partners for Beehive well offshore Australia

Santos’ option to farm into the WA-488-P permit offshore northern Australia has lapsed, leaving Melbana Energy to seek new partners.

The permit contains the potentially giant Beehive prospect in the Bonaparte Gulf between the producing Blacktip gas field and the undeveloped Turtle and Barnett oil discoveries.

Melbana said its data room had been enhanced by results from a 3D seismic survey and additional work that had been conducted on rig selection and well permitting.  The permit carries an obligation to drill an exploration well by December 2020.

Beehive is a 180-square kilometre (69.4-square mile) isolated carbonate build-up of Carboniferous age with 400 metres (1,312 feet) of mapper vertical relief and a crest at 4,100 metres (13,451 feet).

According to Melbana, it is analogous to the giant Tengiz field onshore Kazakhstan, another Carboniferous isolated carbonate build-up.

Source: Offshore Magazine