While Carrickalinga-1 was plugged and abandoned, the well was very important as it helped prove our theory that an ‘oil fairway’ exists between PEL 106 and PEL 91.
Carrickalinga-1 was drilled to test a simple anticlinal structure on the western margin of the Patchawarra Trough. The well was located approximately 20km north of the Lake Hope Oil Fields. Closest offset wells are Kuenpinnie-1 and Sellicks-1, 5km and 15km respectively to the west, and Raven-1, 14km to the south-east.
The primary targets for the well were the Namur Sandstone and Patchawarra Formation. Strong secondary targets were the Hutton Sandstone and Poolowanna Formation.
Carrickalinga-1 was spudded at 0300 hrs, 4th Aug 2003, and reached a total depth of 2715.5m in Pre-Permian metasediments on the 25th August 2003. Formation tops were generally intersected within 30m.
Five oil fluorescence zones were recorded in the Patchawarra Formation between 2339.5 and 2555.5m. The best interval was from 2534.5-2543.5m where 80% fluorescence with moderately fast streaming cut and associated gas was recorded. This zone was tested upon penetration by DST-2 (DST 1 was a misrun over the same interval) and it resulted in a gas flow to surface of 0.03 MMscfd. Approximately one barrel of mud and water cut oil and 300m of slightly oil cut water cushion were recovered from the test. The sample chamber contained 2 litres of oil and 0.4 litres of gas. A combined total of 1m of gas/oil pay was interpreted in the Patchawarra Formation. There was no pay in any other formations. Century Rig 3 was released from Carrickalinga-1 on the 29th August 2003.