Incitec Pivot Ltd.’s (IPL) joint venture partner in the Range Gas Project in Queensland, Central Petroleum Ltd., has contracted with Alice Springs-based Silver City Drilling to drill three appraisal pilot wells at the project. Central said the first well is expected to spud – the early stages of drilling – in early April of this year.
The project, located in Queensland’s Surat Basin, was restarted in November last year after being halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic (GM Nov. 6, 2020). Gas from the project could potentially feed IPL’s Gibson Island nitrogen plant in Brisbane beyond 2022. Present estimates are that the project could produce around 45 Terajoules (TJ)/d of gas.
If successful, the pilot well program will be the catalyst for the Range jv to finalize a bankable full-field development plan in support of a final investment decision (FID), said CPL.
In parallel with the pilot activities, the jv is progressing key state and federal approvals in order to accelerate the planned FID and full field development.