The seismic survey will also determine the best location for an updip appraisal-development well.
Austral, which is also the new operator for the permit, had secured a five-year extension to the term of PRL4 that is backdated to August 2005.
"This licence represents an integral part of the company's strategy to commercialise gas opportunities in the Forelands region of Papua New Guinea," chief executive Thom Jewell said.
Negotiations are also continuing with a potential buyer of Stanley gas, which has been proposed for use in generating electricity for the massive Ok Tedi copper-gold mine.
"Bringing gas to market in Papua New Guinea is a significant challenge, but with a ready buyer for Stanley gas we have a unique opportunity to begin realising the potential of our extensive licence interests there," Jewell added.
The licence was granted originally in 2000 for a five-year term to appraise the Stanley discovery.
The Stanley-1 discovery was drilled in 1999 to a total depth of 3219m. It intersected 35m of excellent quality Toro reservoir from a depth of 3125m with 13.5m of gross gas pay interpreted from wireline logs.
Partners in PRL4 are Austral (28.92%), InterOil (43.13%) and Horizon Oil (27.95%).
