The Hurricane prospect is about 8km from the Legendre oil production facility in an adjacent permit.

The prospect is estimated to have mean potential recoverable oil reserves of 24 million barrels and an estimated potential of 75 million barrels of oil in place. The reservoir target for the well is the Eliassen Formation within the upper channel sand of a deepwater fan, said Mosaic Oil managing director Howard Brady.

“Mosaic has remained in this area for many years because of its prospectivity for both oil and gas discoveries despite the area’s difficult geology,” Brady said.

The well will be drilled by the ENSCO 56 rig and has a planned total depth of 3,200 metres. Drilling is expected to begin in the first half of January.

Interests in WA-208-P are Santos Group (operator) 31.31%, Woodside Energy Ltd 34.03%, ENI Australia 18.66%, Beach Petroleum 10% and Mosaic Oil NL 6%.