NOPSEMA has approved EOG Resources’ plan to drill up to three wells off the coast of Western Australia.
Now given the green light, the US company will conduct drilling activities at its Beehive prospect, located in Commonwealth waters in the Bonaparte Basin.
“The wells could be drilled at any time within a five-year window, commencing no earlier than 1 January 2025 and to be completed no later than 31 December 2029,” the proposal said.
“The exploration/appraisal wells may be drilled via multiple drilling campaigns, with the drilling of each well subject to the success of the prior well.
“Each well is expected to take 55–150 days to drill, with the drilling duration subject to change based on geological conditions and potential for operational challenges. Operations will be conducted 24 hours per day, seven days per week using a jack-up MODU [mobile offshore drilling unit] with the support of helicopters and other marine vessels.
“The wells have a planned total depth up to roughly 6000m. At the completion of drilling, each well could be temporarily abandoned for future use, or permanently plugged and abandoned.”
