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.