Wedoany.com Report-Nov 4,  Australian independent Empire Energy is on track to this month spud its eagerly awarded Carpentaria-5H (C-5H) well on its Beetaloo basin shale gas acreage onshore Australia.

The company is now focused on taking the final investment decision for its Carpentaria pilot project, and commencement of gas deliveries from mid-2025, subject to receipt of all regulatory approval.

Empire in its third quarter operational update said that planning for the C-5H well’s drilling, stimulation and tie-in continued “in anticipation of November commencement”.

The operator has chartered Ensign Rig 965 to drill the well and lined up US services contractor Halliburton to perform the fracture stimulation. Long lead items, including drill casing and wellhead, have been secured.

Following consultation with traditional owners in August, some of the traditional owners are working on the C-5H well pad site, which Empire said is consistent with its strategy to maximise the benefits of the company’s activities for local landholders and communities.

The C-5H well will be drilled from the same well pad and will target the same Velkerri B shale as Carpentaria-2H (C-2H) and Carpentaria-3H (C-3H); with these three wells forming form the initial phase of the Carpentaria pilot project.