Elixir Energy has begun the second phase of flow testing at Lorelle-3H after a 60-day reservoir soak, moving the Queensland appraisal well closer to a potential maiden Reserves booking. Success could position the well as a foundation producer for the proposed Warkon Pilot.
- Post-soak flow testing now underway at Lorelle-3H
- Testing targets sustained Dunk reservoir deliverability and pressure data
- Results are intended to support Elixir’s maiden Reserves booking
- Well is located about 55km from the Wallumbilla Gas Hub
- Warkon Pilot role remains conditional on testing and assessment
Lorelle-3H enters its second flow-testing phase
Elixir Energy Limited (ASX:EXR) has started post-soak flow testing at Lorelle-3H in Queensland’s Taroom Trough, a key operational step for a well that could become the foundation of the company’s proposed Warkon Pilot. The testing follows a 60-day reservoir soak conducted after an initial 30-day clean-up flow period in July.
The first phase produced encouraging clean-up flows, with Lorelle-3H reaching an initial peak rate of 10.4 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. Elixir said those early results compared favourably with other horizontal wells drilled in the Taroom Trough, although the announcement does not provide post-soak results or establish commercial production.
Testing targets Reserves-grade reservoir data
The new testing phase is intended to answer the questions that matter beyond an initial flow rate: whether the Dunk reservoir can deliver gas sustainably, how productivity has responded to the extended shut-in, and what the well’s pressure and flow performance look like over time. The data will also be used to support Elixir’s maiden Reserves assessment.
Elixir said the decision to soak the well was informed by dehydrated clays observed in core, improving productivity during short shut-in periods and the presence of stimulation fluid when the well was last closed. Those observations provide the rationale for the extended pause, but the company will need the post-soak performance data to demonstrate whether the expected productivity benefits translate into sustained deliverability.
A potential anchor for the Warkon Pilot
Lorelle-3H is a substantial appraisal well, incorporating a 1,157-metre horizontal sidetrack into 1,033 metres of net pay in the primary Tinowon “Dunk” Sandstone target. The lateral was stimulated across 12 stages using 6 million pounds of proppant. It sits alongside the proposed Warkon Pilot and about 55 kilometres from the Wallumbilla Gas Hub, giving any successful development a stated location advantage within eastern Australia’s gas network.
That potential remains conditional. Elixir’s pathway from an encouraging appraisal result to a foundation production well still runs through sustained flow performance, a subsequent Reserves assessment and decisions on the pilot itself. The next meaningful signal will be whether post-soak rates, pressure behaviour and condensate output support a credible Reserves booking rather than merely another promising well test.
Bottom Line?
The post-soak test is the bridge between Lorelle-3H’s encouraging early flows and a possible Reserves booking, but that bridge has not yet been crossed.
Questions in the middle?
- What sustained gas and condensate rates will Lorelle-3H deliver after the 60-day soak?
- Will the post-soak pressure data support a maiden Reserves booking for the Dunk reservoir?
- Can Lorelle-3H be confirmed as a foundation producer for the Warkon Pilot?