Proposed Antelope 7 well location

[Kaliboo]

In Phil's presentation on A7, he indicates that drilling further east of the current drill site makes more sense and is less risky [less chance to miss the resevoir and find the fault]. Any geological reason that Total could not use the current drill site for A7 and angle the well back east-ward after reaching a particular depth in order to save $ on preparing another drill site; finding the exact location of the western fault; and being more confident of hitting the resevoir to the east as well?

Do we know for sure that Total is going ahead with the A7 well at the previously sited drill pad, or could this latest delay be related to preparing a new site [or is it just wanting to know who their partner will be}?

. Looking at the map the A7 proposed location is only about 2.5 km away, maybe less.  So that is 8200 ft or less.  If they drill a vertical well and hit good reservoir rock, then they will log it, take pressures, and likely do a flow test.  I would think they would put gauges in the A5 well to see if the pressure wave reaches A5.  If so, there there likely is not a fault in between.  If the well is just to the east of the fault then the pressure signature may indicate a nearby barrier.  They may be able to infer a distance to a fault or barrier.  At that point it would be optional to sidetrack shallow with a slant hole to head to the fault or barrier.  I'm not sure that would be worth doing or necessary.  A geologist familiar with their model would need to assess that.  Whether it is worth doing depends on how much incremental volume the information might add.  If the well is not in communication with A5, then there is a fault of other barrier present.  Slanting back to the east with a sidetrack might find it.  I have no idea what TOT's plans are.  Delays can happen for lots of reasons.

UPDATE: I see in the MIC on page 40, under "interim Resource Certification" that the Antelope 7 appraisal well is to be located approximatelly 1.3 km west-south-west of Antelope 5...."

This is much closer than what is drawn on the map in the presentation and a good bit closer to A5 than other wells.  This means that there is a much higher probability it will be in the reservoir and be in pressure communicatino to A5.  But since it is closer it won't add as much volume as a comparable success well located further west.  So it is a tradeoff.  I think I would rather have a higher Ps of connecting to the reservoir with a closer location and add some volume vs. possibly missing the whole reservoir by being too far west.  But if you were hoping to max out at 10 TCFE, that possibility just shrank with the closer location.  Maybe their thought was in light of the low volume certified by OSH of 6.43 TCFE, they actually were looking to bump up the numbers for shareholders by being more conservative as opposed to taking too much risk and adding nothing.