Emperor Energy are planning to drill a single exploration and appraisal well known as Judith-2 in Petroleum Exploration Permit VIC/P47 to identify hydrocarbons present within sandstone reservoirs. This is a follow-up to the 1989 Judith-1 Well gas discovery. The activities carried out in this EP will be located in Commonwealth waters, approximately 36 km south of Marlo, Victoria, at the closest landfall to the Operational Area. The Operational Area (4 km x 4 km2 area around the Judith-2 well location) is the extent within which petroleum activities will occur. The wells may be drilled at any time from January 2026 – December 2027 (inclusive).
Emperor Energy proposes to undertake activities that consist of:
Seabed surveys:
• Geophysical surveys (including multibeam echo sounding, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and 2D shallow seismic, to identify hazards at the well location).
• Geotechnical seabed surveys (including borehole and core sampling, piezo cone penetrometer testing).
The geophysical and geotechnical surveys will be undertaken separately with a special purpose vessel, prior to drilling. During the geophysical survey, the 2D shallow seismic survey will not exceed a 2x2km2 area around the well location, for a maximum of 4 days. The site surveys will be undertaken by different vessels at different times with the geophysical survey estimated to take up to 4 days and the geotechnical survey estimated to take up to 5 days.
Drilling and completion activities, including:
• MODU placement (mooring or jacking-up the drilling rig).
• Drilling activities.
• Well evaluation (including vertical seismic profiling.
• Well testing (including flaring of any produced hydrocarbons).
• Plugging and abandoning the well.
• Wellhead removal activities.
The drill rig will be supported by up to three vessels with helicopters used for crew change. Drilling is estimated to take up to 60 days. Following drilling and appraisal activities the well will be permanently plugged with the wellhead removed.
The activity will be conducted entirely within Commonwealth waters in accordance with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (Cth) (OPGGS Act 2006) and Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2023 (OPGGS(E)).
