Georgina Energy (LSE:GEX) announced on Friday that it has ordered wellhead equipment from Cactus Wellhead and notified contractor Ensign to begin mobilising the Ensign 970 rig toward its Hussar EP513 project in Western Australia.
The London-listed explorer, which targets helium, hydrogen and natural gas across its Australian onshore permits through wholly owned subsidiary Westmarket O&G, said all civil engineering and site preparation works at Hussar are now complete, with contractors and equipment demobilised from site.
The update follows an announcement in late October in which Georgina said rig mobilisation would take eight to ten weeks from formal notification, with road closures to heavy vehicles and variable weather having already pushed back a previously targeted September spud date.
Contractors are now moving equipment away from Hussar using alternative routes to avoid existing road closures, including upgrades to the Eagle Highway route from the Mangkili turn-off on the Gunbarrel Highway to the wellsite.
Advisers Aztech Well Construction and Ingenua are developing further alternative access options for heavy equipment, including a route via Leonora along the Great Central Road and David Carnegie Highway connecting to the Eagle Highway.
Light vehicles continue to access the site on roads administered by Wiluna Shire Council while arrangements for heavy vehicle movements are finalised.
The company has also installed security fencing at Hussar, including around the lined water storage pond, to keep wildlife off the wellsite.
Separately, Georgina has submitted formal applications to Western Australia's Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration for a proposed seismic programme at Hussar, using lightweight equipment that does not require heavy vehicle access, with around 30 days of fieldwork planned once regulatory and Traditional Owner cultural heritage approvals come through.
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The programme budget is being finalised for funding by Harlequin Energy, which already funds the Hussar drilling and site infrastructure works.
An independent geological report dated 1 February, prepared by competent person Maki Petkovski, estimates unrisked net attributable 2U prospective resources at Hussar of 283 billion cubic feet of helium, 315 billion cubic feet of hydrogen and 2.93 trillion cubic feet of hydrocarbon gas, which the company says could equate to a combined in-situ value of approximately $152 billion, though it cautions there is no certainty any of the resource will be commercially recovered.
"The ordering of the wellhead equipment and preparations for mobilisation of the Ensign 970 rig represent an important milestone as we progress towards drilling," said chief executive Anthony Hamilton, adding that drilling Hussar and evaluating its helium, hydrogen and natural gas potential "remains our priority".