A GAS exploration company has announced a fresh round of community consultation ahead of its plans to ramp up two conventional regional drilling programs.
Beach Energy will hold information sessions early next month to outline its plans to drill a new appraisal well, known as Haselgrove-4.
This well is in addition to the previously announced Dombey-1 conventional drilling program, which will be undertaken in bluegum plantations 20km north-west of Penola.
The Haselgrove-4 well – located about 7km south of Penola – will be in close proximity to the existing network of Haselgrove wells.
Neither exploration well – targeting potential commercial gasfields – will be fracture stimulated, which is commonly known as fracking.
The announcement comes amid a commercial gas field being discovered at the Haselgrove-3 well site and the design process under way for a new multi-million dollar Katnook gas processing facility.
The proposed 10 terajoule/day gas processing facility will replace the existing mothballed Katnook Gas Plant, located 9km south of Penola.
Beach Energy chief executive officer Matt Kay said the new Katnook gas facility would provide much needed processing capacity to supply local markets with the new gas discovered in the region.
“We want to continue our strong track record of working with the community and our local regional manager Glenn Toogood is here to engage and answers any questions people might have,” Mr Kay said.
“Beach is keen to contribute positively to the local community and we remain committed to being transparent about our plans.”
Beach will also use the community information sessions to provide details on the new and revised statement of environmental objectives and environmental impact reports for drilling activities across the region and provide details around the planned new gas processing facility at Katnook.
The regional community consultatios sessions will be held in Penola and Millicent on August 1 and 2.
Further details of the sessions will be advertised later this month.
According to a company statement, the Haselgrove-4 well will target gas in the conventional reservoirs of the Sawpit Sandstone and Pretty Hill Formations, similar to Haselgrove-3 .
Drilling activities for Dombey-1 and Haselgrove-4 are expected to begin between late 2018 and early 2019.
Beach was successful in being awarded a $6m Australian Government Gas Acceleration Program (GAP) grant, which will be a significant contribution towards the cost of the new gas processing facility.
