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| The High Arctic Rig 104, image courtesy of High Artic Energy Services. |
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| PNG LNG partners Exxon and Oil Search applications for PPLs in yellow, next to NGE's PPL 277. Map courtesy of DPE. |
The well was spudded on Monday and by 6am yesterday morning was at a depth of 119m.
The drilling in petroleum retention licence 11 is managed by Oil Search on behalf of well operator ExxonMobil.
Trapia 1 (formerly Huria) is 13km east of the Angore gas field and 23km east of the key PNG LNG project field of Hides.
The Toro and Dimu sandstones are the key targets but seismic has identified similar leads to Trapia in petroleum prospecting licence 277 next door.
NGE agreed to sell PPL 277 to Oil Search and Exxon in April.
As part of the deal, NGE will receive an additional payment of $A20 million if PPL 277 is upgraded into a petroleum development licence and will receive royalties if petroleum products are produced and sold from this area.
Oil Search owns 52.5% of PRL11 while Exxon PNG subsidiary Esso Highlands owns 47.5%.
Disclaimer: Aspermont Publishing owns shares in New Guinea Energy.
