
British oil and gas company, BP has secured environment plan approval from the Australian offshore regulator National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) for the Ironbark-1 exploration well offshore Western Australia (WA).
The Ironbark prospect is located in exploration permit WA-359-P, which is situated in the Carnarvon Basin, about 50km from the North West Shelf (NWS) LNG infrastructure.
BP operates the permit with 42.5% stake while other partners include Cue Energy (21.5%), Beach Energy (21%), and New Zealand Oil & Gas (15%).
Last year, Cue Exploration announced the formation of a joint venture (JV) with partner companies to undertake drilling operations at the Ironbark-1 exploration well.
The move follows the conclusion of all agreements between Cue Exploration and BP Developments Australia, Beach Energy and New Zealand Oil & Gas.
The partners are planning to commence drilling activities at the Ironbark-1 well in October 2020.
Ocean Apex drilling rig to be deployed at Ironbark-1 exploration well
Diamond Offshore-owned Ocean Apex drilling rig s planned to be used to drill the well to a depth of 5,500m.
Cue Energy CEO Matthew Boyall said: “Cue Energy welcomes the approval of the Ironbark Exploration Drilling Environment Plan and is excited with the continuing progress toward the drilling of the Ironbark-1 well, which is expected to spud in about three months.
“Cue holds a significant 21.5% participating interest in the world-class Ironbark gas prospect, which, if successful, could be company changing for Cue and deliver environmental and economic benefits to Australia and the region.”