Eastern Gas Corp. Ltd. has commenced drilling at the Venus-2H horizontal appraisal well within its Project Venus (ATP 2051) in Queensland’s Surat Basin.
The start of drilling marks the company’s first drilling campaign since listing on the ASX and represents the region’s first horizontal coal seam gas (CSG) well.
Drilling operations follow the completion of site preparation work, including the setup of Silver City Drilling Rig 34 and workover operations on the adjacent Venus-1 well.
Venus-2H has been designed to physically intersect Venus-1, creating an integrated production pilot intended to collect key technical data under controlled conditions.
The two-week drilling campaign will be followed by well completion activities and an extended production testing program. The integrated pilot will evaluate gas deliverability, permeability, reservoir pressure behaviour, and water production performance across the permit area.
Data gathered during the program will evaluate the company’s independently certified contingent gas resource and support future field development planning and potential reserve classification.
“The commencement of drilling at Venus-2H marks a defining milestone for Eastern Gas and the beginning of an exciting new phase in the appraisal of Project Venus,” said Eastern Gas Managing Director David Spring.
“This is the company’s first drilling campaign since listing on the ASX and represents an important step in unlocking the value of one of Queensland’s promising coal seam gas projects.”
Spring added that the horizontal well design will generate a comprehensive dataset on reservoir connectivity and pressure response, providing a technical foundation for commercial evaluation.
“The knowledge gained from this appraisal program is expected to play a critical role in assessing the future development potential of Project Venus.”
Operations remain on schedule, with Eastern Gas planning to report updates as key milestones, including well intersection and initial flow testing results, are achieved over the coming weeks.
