Drilling at natural gas and helium producer Renergen’s R2D2 well has progressed as anticipated, and drilling has been interpreted to be proximal to the target gas-bearing fracture system.
The company reports that logging operations are under way in preparation for casing the well and applying for the requisite approvals to continue drilling in the Wits formation.
Given this casing, the logging and approval process is expected to take several weeks to complete and the company has elected to relocate the drilling rig to a new site, C3PO, where it will also drill to base Karoo pending the approvals to drill to final depth at the R2D2 well.
Further, and encouragingly, gaseous odours were detected in the deeper section of R2D2, consistent with the experience of the drilling of the successful MDR1 well, Renergen confirms.
“We are through the most challenging part of the drilling on R2D2, with more precision than in our previous wells, so the learnings have not been in vain, and we expect our ability to hit targets will only improve as we go forward.
“While we are waiting on getting the casing set and completing the lengthy approval process to deepen the well, we have taken the opportunity to drill through the Karoo on the new site, C3PO, which should deliver significant time savings on the overall drilling campaign,” comments CEO Stefano Marani.
He adds that the presence of the odour, however, is “really good news”, especially given that the well is interpreted to be so close to the target fractures in the Wits, and the company is drilling in the same type of geology as at the successful MDR1 well.