Woodside is preparing to drill an exploration well offshore Australia and its environment plan for the Gemtree-A well is now under assessment with the Australian regulator.
Woodside submitted its plan to drill a single exploration well, named Gemtree-A, within Permit Area WA-49-L in late February 2020. The plan has since then been open for public comment.
Australia’s regulator, NOPSEMA, said on Monday that it has now started its assessment of the plan.
The proposed Gemtree-A Well is located in Commonwealth waters in the Barrow subbasin, about 142 km off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia.
The closest landfall to the well location is the Montebello Islands, which are about 55 km southeast (and 47 km to the Montebello Island Marine Park).
The proposed activity will involve drilling, formation evaluation, and permanent abandonment of one well.
The well will be drilled using a moored semi-submersible MODU. Typically, two or three vessels will support the MODU during drilling activities.
The proposed drilling of the exploration well is expected to start in 3Q of 2020 and take about 50 days to complete.
The timing of beginning and duration of these activities is subject to change due to project schedule requirements, MODU/vessel availability, unforeseen circumstances, and weather.