2nd Quarter 'APEDA' Report 2004

To view the full report, including tables and figures you can download the Petroleum Industry Statistics Report for 2^nd Quarter 2004 in PDF format. [PDF 500KB]

Highlights

• A total of ten discoveries were reported:
• Offshore at Monet (oil), Eskdale (oil and gas). Stickle (oil) and Harrison (oil) all in the Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
• Onshore at Galilee (gas), Millswood (gas), Derrilyn (oil), all in the Cooper/Eromanga Basin of South Australia and at Xyris (gas) and Apium (gas) in the Perth Basin of Western Australia.
• Overall level of exploration drilling in the first six months of 2004 (66 wells) is the highest since 1998. Offshore drilling activity (24 wells drilled in the first six months) is at generally low levels and the same as in 2002. Onshore drilling activity (42 wells drilled) is the highest for a number of years with most of the drilling undertaken in the Cooper/Eromanga Basin.
• 2D onshore seismic survey activity in the June quarter was about the same level as in the March quarter with the most activity occurring in New South Wales. There was no reported offshore 2D activity. Offshore 3D activity increased with all the activity in offshore Western Australia.
• Development completions offshore were undertaken at Marlin and Mackerel in the Gippsland Basin, Exeter, Legendre North, Mutineer, South Plato and Monet in the Carnarvon Basin and at Bayu Undan in the JPDA area of the Bonaparte Basin. Development completions onshore occurred at Jingemia in the Perth Basin of Western Australia, Palm Valley in the Amadeus Basin of the Northern Territory and at Coonatie, Raven, Strzeleckie, Kidman North, Merrimelia, Moolion and Nephrite South all in the Cooper/Eromanga Basin of South Australia.

Drilling activity

Exploration drilling for the June quarter 2004 39 wells were drilled, 22 more than drilled during the same period in 2003 and 12 wells more than the 27 wells drilled in the previous quarter of 2004. Offshore exploration wells drilled during the June quarter 2004 (17) is ten more than the seven drilled in the March quarter 2004 and three more than in the June quarter of 2003. Drilling was carried out in the Carnarvon (16) and Gippsland (1) Basins. Onshore exploration wells drilled during the June quarter 2004 (22) is two more than the twenty wells of the March quarter 2004 and 19 more than the 3 wells of the June quarter last year. Drilling was carried out in the Cooper/Eromanga (13), Bowen/Surat (3), Perth (3), Otway (2) and Gippsland (1) Basins.

Development drilling activity for the June quarter of 2004 of 21 wells was 6 more than the previous quarter (15) and is the same as the June quarter 2003 (21). Offshore , the number of development wells drilled during the June quarter 2004 (10) is 3 more than the previous quarter. These wells were drilled in the Bonaparte (1), Carnarvon (6) and Gippsland (3) Basins Onshore , development wells drilled in the June quarter 2004 (11) is 3 more than the previous quarter (8). This is 4 less than the 15 drilled in the corresponding period of 2003. These wells were drilled in the Cooper/Eromanga Basin (9), Perth Basin (1) and in the Amadeus Basin (1).

Seismic survey activity

Offshore , there were no 2D seismic surveys recorded during the June quarter of 2004. This has continued the decrease from the December quarter 2003 level of 6636 line kms. For the previous June quarter 2003 there was 4740 line kms recorded. 3D seismic surveys recorded 2832 km² in the June quarter 2004 which is 754 km² more than recorded in the previous quarter and 828 km² less than in the same period in 2003. The surveys were undertaken in the Carnarvon Basin.
Onshore , a total of 566 km of 2D seismic were acquired during the June quarter 2004. This is 171 km more than in the previous quarter. These surveys were undertaken in the Cooper Basin of South Australia and in the Gunnedah and Darling Basins of New South Wales. 3D seismic surveys were undertaken over 393 km² which is 18 less than the 481 km² in the previous quarter. These surveys were carried out in the Cooper Basin.

Rig activity

The number of active rigs during June 2004 was fifteen, five more than June 2003 (10). Rig activity during the quarter ranged from 15 to 17, with 15 rigs active at the end of the quarter.
Offshore, the number of available rigs in the quarter ended June 2004 remained steady at eight for each month, with the number of active rigs at six, seven and seven. Active rigs were drilling in the Bonaparte, Carnarvon and Gippsland Basins.
Onshore, the number of active rigs for the quarter ended June 2004 varied between eight and ten, which is greater than the same period last year (4-8). The total number of inactive rigs ranged from nine to ten.

Success rates

The success rates shown in Table 7 are based on the number of petroleum discoveries and new-field wildcat wells drilled in Australia onshore and offshore from 1990 to 2003. No assumptions have been made about whether a 'discovery' has proved or will prove to be commercial. Geoscience Australia defines a discovery as a well from which a measurable amount of oil or gas has been recovered and also includes those discoveries inferred from well logs.

• 2nd Quarter 'APEDA' Report 2004