Carnarvon Energy expects a new exploration drilling campaign in the Bedout Sub-basin to begin in April 2027, with the Ara prospect viewed as the most likely initial target.
Carnarvon Energy expects the next exploration drilling campaign in the Bedout Sub-basin, offshore Western Australia, to get underway in April 2027, according to the company’s latest quarterly report.
The company and operator Santos are partners in the WA-435, 436, 437 & 438-P permits. Santos recently contracted the semisub Transocean Equinox for a potential multi-well drilling program (the rig has been working for multiple operators offshore southeast Australia on a rigshare basis).
The goal is to further delineate the size of the Sub-basin’s resource potential, focusing on some of the largest prospects identified.
According to Carnarvon the most likely firm well would target the Ara prospect in WA-435-P, testing a new basin play fairway 80 km north of the Dorado Field.
The primary target is a stratigraphic pinch out trap within the Archer Formation, thought to be of a comparable reservoir age to Dorado, with a secondary target in the Late Triassic Cuvier Member.
This is a fluvial channel belt system analogous to the Mungaroo Formation, which contains some of the largest accumulations on Australia’s North West Shelf.
Carnarvon estimates a geological chance of success of 37% for Ara, with prospective resources of 191 MMboe. It may hold oil and/or gas—a success either way would be play-opening, the company believes, potentially unlocking other large prospects across the northern part of the acreage.
To date there have been four discoveries in the Bedout Sub-basin—Phoenix South, Roc and, Dorado—from six wells drilled based on modern 3D data.
Santos has also indicated that development work for the Dorado project will resume in tandem with the new evaluation program.
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