Beach expecting to receive Transocean rig during Q4
Preparations continue for a drilling campaign in the Otway Basin offshore southeast Australia, Beach Energy said in a results update.
The semisub Transocean Equinox mobilized to Victoria in March and is currently conducting a program for another operator in the rig consortium.
Beach expects to receive the rig to start work on its campaign in late 2025. This will initially include P&A of the Geographe 1 and Thylacine 1 wells as well as drilling the Hercules 1 exploration well, a three-way fault bound structure that could hold 100 Bcf of gas in the Waarre C reservoir.
The location is 5 km south of the Artisan accumulation in the offshore VIC/P431 permit. A successful outcome could de-risk other nearby prospects.
Following completion of this program, the focus will switch to subsea development and well connections, with first gas targeted in 2028.