Bedout joint venture partners progressing Environment Plan and then will line up a rig for upcoming exploration campaign
The Santos-led Bedout joint venture is planning an exploration drilling campaign offshore Western Australia commencing in 2026 following the successful completion of the Bedout Mega Merge seismic reprocessing project.
JV partner Carnarvon Energy hailed the reprocessing project as a major advancement in subsurface imaging and exploration prospectivity definition across the Bedout sub-basin, and which delivered one of the most advanced seismic datasets ever developed in the region.
The project integrated 10 seismic surveys, covering 15,240 square kilometres and provides more than 80% seamless coverage of the Bedout JV acreage, which already hosts discoveries including Dorado, Pavo and Apus. The data were reprocessed and merged using modern geophysical techniques by DUG Technology, resulting in a unified, high-resolution dataset.
Carnarvon said that insights gained from this contemporary dataset would directly inform selection of the 2026 exploration target and guide the future Bedout exploration strategy. The dataset also provides enhancement to the definition of the Bedout prospective resource base and associated geological risk profile.
In tandem, the JV partners are well advanced in preparing for offshore regulator NOPSEMA the multi-well drilling Environment Plan (EP) submission required for upcoming and future exploration activities, with drilling planned to commence in the third quarter next year. The Relevant Persons consultation process for the EP has already commenced.
“The recently completed Mega Merge project has provided our technical team an unparalleled, coherent view of the Bedout sub-basin’s subsurface, encompassing our discoveries, identified prospects and potential new targets,” commented Carnarvon chief executive, Philip Huizenga.
“The quality and clarity of the merged dataset enables Carnarvon to confidently assist with finalising our drilling target for the proposed 2026 drilling campaign with a focus on maximising resource volume upside.”
The enhanced seismic dataset has enabled the identification of previously undetected structural features and stratigraphic trends, enriching the JV’s understanding of the region’s geological potential, noted Carnarvon.
The dataset is already being utilised for early interpretation, guiding the partners towards areas with high exploration potential.
Phase II of the project, now under way, will apply quantitative interpretation (QI) and seismic inversion techniques to refine further subsurface predictions — particularly regarding rock lithology for reservoir and seal characterisation — to support high grading of prospects for future drilling.
The enhanced seismic dataset is currently under interpretation, with the additional insights from the QI and seismic inversion processes to be incorporated in the next quarter.
Alongside refining the next exploration target, the partners will engage with drilling contractors to determine rig suitability and availability. Subject to regulatory and JV approvals, drilling is anticipated to commence in Q3 2026.
“The exploration potential in the Bedout sub-basin is unrivalled in Australia, and Carnarvon is very excited to continue this journey,” added Huizenga.
Santos in January put the Dorado Phase 1 liquids project on the backburner, electing not to proceed with purchasing the floating production, storage and offloading vessel for this project, a move that disappointed Carnarvon, with Huizenga maintaining the project was “cost accretive and value accretive”.
Subsequently, an Adnoc-led consortium launched a U$18.7 billion takeover offer for Santos while Carnarvon earlier this week announced it would acquire an almost 20% stake in compatriot Strike Energy that would add assets onshore WA to its upstream portfolio.
The Bedout JV partners are operator Santos with80 %, Carnarvon on 10% and OPIC Australia, a subsidiary of Taiwan’s CPC, also having 10%.
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