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Strong results at Mahalo Gas Hub

Drilling will allow finalisation of the wharf design. Image: zhengzaishanchu/stock.adobe.com, mahalo gas, beetaloo basin, empire energy

Comet Ridge has struck gas at its Mahalo East pilot drilling operation.

The pilot program includes the Mahalo East 1 vertical well and the Mahalo East 2 lateral well. These wells are being drilled with the support of the Queensland Government’s Frontier Gas Exploration Grants Program, under which Comet Ridge received a $5 million funding allocation.

Mahalo East 1 was drilled over the past week to a total depth of 363m, intersecting 7.2m of net coal across the target coal seams as anticipated.

This well was drilled to obtain confirmatory coal reservoir data in the northeast section of the high-quality fairway, and subsequently, 79.3m of core was cut from the top coal right through the coal reservoir section. Core recovery achieved was 98.8 per cent.

Gas was observed bubbling from the core samples, which were then immediately placed in sealed containers for lab analysis. This test work is expected to continue over the next few months.

The drill rig was then relocated to Mahalo East 2, where drilling has now commenced. The Aries seam, which is almost 3m thick, is the target of this lateral well. Comet Ridge is trialling different steering technology in this well, therefore the total length of the well will be determined from operational considerations as drilling progresses.

Comet Ridge managing director Tor McCaul said the results further confirm the company’s geologic model.

“We were able to measure higher than expected permeability values in the bottom two coals in the Mahalo East 1 vertical well, which confirms our confidence about a very large gas-in-place to be developed in this area,” he said.

“We see the entire Mahalo Gas Hub as a key contributor to the East Coast gas story.”

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