While the Woollybutt field oil production FPSO was temporarily shut-in on Sunday in preparation for the Category 3 storm, the vessel was not disconnected from the wells. Production restarted Tuesday afternoon, with production optimisation operations to re-start once the field is back online, Tap said.

Cyclone Clare crossed the northwest coast on Monday night southwest of Dampier, with winds of up to 195 kilometres an hour.

BHP Billiton, Santos, Woodside Petroleum and Chevron Australia all shut down offshore oil rigs, while ports at Dampier and Port Headland were closed.

Meanwhile, Woollybutt-5, which is about 4km south of Woollybutt-3A, encountered a four-metre oil column in the primary objective, Tap said. The oil-water contact was consistent with that encountered in the Woollybutt-3 and 4 wells.

Interpretation suggested that Woollybutt-5A has extended the South Woollybutt Field at least 4km south, according to Tap.

Managing director and CEO Paul Underwood said wireline testing and sampling confirmed that a gross 12m interval encountered in the deeper Intra Barrow, about 50m below the primary objective, was hydrocarbon bearing.

“These hydrocarbons are interpreted to be light oil, which will be confirmed by laboratory analysis,” Underwood said.

“However, it would appear that these hydrocarbons are not connected to the Intra-Barrow oil columns intersected in the Woollybutt-3 and 4 wells.

Underwood said Tap would further interpret data from Woollybutt-5 to evaluate the optimal development of the field.

Upon completion of Woollybutt-5A, the rig will move to the Yarri-1 location, 5km east of the Woollybutt-3A discovery well.

He said the joint venture was considering drilling of a further well, Woollybutt-6, this year to evaluate the field.

The WA-25-L joint venture partners and their respective interests are: Eni Australia Ltd (operator and 65%), Mobil Australia Resource (20%) and Tap West (15%).