Oil major BP has received all the required regulatory approvals for drilling the Ironbark-1 exploration well offshore north-west Australia. The Ironbark prospect is located in exploration permit WA-359-P, which is situated in the Carnarvon Basin, around 50km from the North West Shelf (NWS) LNG infrastructure. BP operates and owns 42.5% in the permit. Other partners include Cue Energy (21.5%), Beach Energy (21%), and New Zealand Oil & Gas (15%).
The Well Operations Management Plan and the Safety Case for the Diamond Offshore-owned Ocean Apex semi-submersible drilling rig to be used for the operation were the final regulatory documents required to be approved by Australian offshore regulator NOPSEMA. According to Cue Energy, the rig is set to mobilise in mid-October, with drilling due to start later that month. The well is expected to be drilled at a depth of 5,500m…
