Quadrant Energy has started drilling the Driftwood-1 commitment well on the WA-320-P permit, offshore Western Australia.

Quadrant-operated WA-320-P permit is located in the Carnarvon Basin, offshore Western Australia and the Driftwood-1 commitment well is located in WA-320-P in the Barrow sub-basin of the Northern Carnarvon Basin, approximately 1km north of the Rosily-1A exploration well which had minor oil shows.

According to Tap Oil, a partner in the permit with a 9.778% participating interest, the Noble Tom Prosser jack-up drilling rig spudded the Driftwood-1 exploration well on August 1, 2016.

The well is being drilled in 99 metres of water and will be drilled to approximately 2,081 metres measured depth. The well is expected to take 19 days on a trouble free dry hole basis.

Tap said that the well objective is to test the Early Cretaceous sandstones of the Mardie Greensand Member, Birdrong Member and Zeepaard Formation in a low-relief, northeast-southwest trending four-way dip closure.

Quadrant has 40.665% interest in the permit, while its other partners, OMV and JX Nippon Oil and Gas have 39.557% and 10%, respectively.

The Driftwood-1 commitment well has an expected total well cost of A$15.47 million (gross) and Tap has a 5% carry on the commitment well in WA-320-P of up to US$3.5 million (up to a total well cost of US$70 million) from JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration.