Emperor Energy Ltd (ASX:EMP) has purchased 3D seismic data of its wholly-owned Judith Gas Field offshore Victoria from global seismic company CGG and this has the potential to “significantly de-risk” the Greater Judith Structure.
This new data was acquired by CGG during 2020 as part of a multi-client 3D Seismic Survey that covered much of the Offshore Gippsland Basin including Emperor’s Judith Gas Field.
The 3D seismic survey was carried out using state-of-the-art equipment and techniques incorporating 7000-metre-long acquisition cables, generating the highest quality reservoir resolution ever seen in the Gippsland Basin.
Already, Emperor’s team of consulting geologists and geophysicists have confirmed the acquired data represents a major improvement in quality, as well as providing high definition across the Judith Gas Field and much of the Greater Judith Structure.
De-risking Judith
Emperor Energy director Phil McNamara said the new data had the potential to “significantly de-risk” the Greater Judith Structure for appraisal and exploration drilling, as shareholders sent the share price 25% higher to 4.5 cents in early trade.
“We now have the seismic data and tools required to accurately refine the preferred locations of these wells and what the expected total gas production could be from each,” he said.
“The proximity of the Judith Gas field to the Rosedale Fault in the north had previously affected seismic data quality as you got closer to the fault, resulting in poor seismic response, as you progress up-dip from the Judith-1 gas discovery.
“The new MC3D seismic data volume, including MAZ merge with earlier CGG legacy reprocessing, provides a major improvement in seismic definition and continuity and to a large extent overcomes this problem.
“We have completed a project pre-feasibility study based on four production wells achieving 80 million standard cubic feet per day field production over 25 years.
Next steps
The data, for which Emperor paid less than $735,000, is a potential game-changer for the company and will enable follow-up studies to expand the field’s potential.
High seismic amplitude/low impedance response is used as a potential indicator of gas, and seismic sections across the Judith Gas Field indicate that high amplitude/low impedance responses are well developed in the sections correlating with the Judith gas sands intersected in the Judith-1 well, and also in the interpreted underlying Longtom reservoirs.
This can be seen extending significantly up-dip into the Greater Judith Structure from the original Judith-1 gas discovery drilled in 1989 by Shell.
Amplitude Versus Offset (AVO) modelling will now be employed as a Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator (DHI) in these reservoir sands across the Greater Judith Structure, with initial examination showing the presence of high amplitude responses indicative of the possible presence of gas in interpreted Kipper Gas Sands extending from the currently producing Kipper Gas Field (operated by Exxon Mobil) into the southeastern corner of Vic/P47.
McNamara said shareholders could expect a significant update in about five weeks.
“By mid-May 2021 we will have a clearer picture of Hydrocarbon Indicators across the gas field
and consider that this will greatly enhance our prospects of securing an Exploration Partner to participate in the drilling of the Judith-2 Well,” he said.
“This should also provide Emperor with the confidence required to commence progressing with early-stage Government approval work identified as part of the overall project Feasibility Study.”
- Daniel Paproth