Omega Oil & Gas Ltd. has commenced its fully funded 2026/27 drilling and appraisal program in Queensland’s eastern Taroom Trough.
The company said that Helmerich & Payne’s FlexRig 648 has begun mobilising to the Canyon-3 well location, marking the start of what Omega describes as its largest and most impactful drilling campaign to date.
The campaign is designed to test the commercial scale of Omega’s acreage on the eastern flank of the trough, a deep basin structure holding overpressured, oil and gas-bearing Permian tight-sand reservoirs. Technical data indicates geological characteristics analogous to major unconventional petroleum plays in the United States.
Omega’s multi-well program will evaluate five stacked reservoir intervals across its tenure. The initial phase comprises four vertical appraisal wells, with each well expected to take approximately 30 days to complete.
Data gathered from the vertical wells will guide the placement and design of one to two 2,000-metre horizontal wells featuring fracture stimulation and flow testing.
Preparations on-site are progressing rapidly, with two well pads already constructed in PCA 342 and a third under construction in the southern portion of ATP 2081.
Omega CEO Trevor Brown said the campaign marks a pivotal step in de-risking the emerging energy play.
“The mobilisation of H&P’s Rig 648 marks the start of Omega’s largest, and most impactful drilling program to date, and is an important milestone in evidencing the vast potential of the eastern Taroom Trough,” Brown said.
“Over the coming months, by drilling one well each month, we will systematically evaluate five stacked, Permian, tight-sand reservoir intervals over our large acreage area.”
Omega holds a 100 per cent operating interest in PCA 342 and acts as operator of ATP 2081 under a joint venture with Tri-Star (30 per cent) and Beach Energy (25 per cent). Results from the Canyon-3 well are expected over the coming weeks.
“Our confidence in the eastern flank is high and is supported by well results and a geological model built on many years of technical work and regional studies,” Brown said.
“We believe the eastern flank of the Taroom Trough offers a compelling combination of scale, reservoir quality, structural setting and liquids potential.”
