It said the well reached a total depth of 3202m, deeper then its initial planned depth of 3100m, after drilling through the Iagifu sandstone reservoir.

Oil Search had been forced to enlarge the hole after poor hole conditions prevented wireline logging tools from accessing the Hedinia sandstone where logging during drilling had indicated possible hydrocarbons.

Cobra-1A is primarily directed at the Iagifu sandstone - the principal reservoir in PNG's Gobe and SE Gobe fields - in a seismically defined sub-thrust prospect.

Oil Search said Cobra-1 is the first well in Papua New Guinea to target a sub-thrust play as the primary target.

Participants in Cobra-1A are operator Oil Search (62.556%), Murray Petroleum (26.497%) and Cue Energy (10.947%).