Georgina Energy said all civil engineering work at its Hussar EP513 prospect in Western Australia has been completed, but flooding and adverse weather have forced authorities to block access to and from the site, delaying the drilling campaign it had been targeting for September.
The helium, hydrogen and natural gas explorer said the water well, Turkey's Nest storage pond and drill-cuttings sump are finished, the 20-inch conductor pipe has been drilled and cemented, and the water well has completed a long-term test delivering about 260,000 litres a day.
The airstrip has been extended to 1,400 metres and gravelled for all-weather use, and access roads have been cleared, graded and compacted.
Georgina said it remains in priority discussions with Ensign Drilling to mobilise Rig 970 "as soon as practical" once site access is restored, and that drilling Hussar remains the company's top priority.
That marks a shift from the company's run of announcements through July and August, when it had repeatedly reaffirmed a September 2026 spud date as pre-drill works at the 300 km²-plus prospect progressed toward completion.
At Mt Winter in the Northern Territory, Georgina said terms of the Aboriginal Land Rights Agreement have now been agreed by all parties, and it is expediting the re-entry and development programme for the project, which it says holds 2U/P50 prospective recoverable resources of 234 Bcf of helium, 214 Bcf of hydrogen and 1.7 Tcf of gas.
Preliminary site inspection approvals are under way, with a civil engineering access and site evaluation planned for late October, and a final formal authorisation meeting with the Central Land Council and Traditional Owners is scheduled for mid-November.
Settlement of the 100% acquisition of EP155 from Mosman Oil & Gas, now renamed Quantum Helium, is under way, with Georgina to pay AU$300,000 from existing working capital once the Northern Territory Minister of Mines and Energy grants the tenement.
"With all engineering works complete at Hussar, drilling this prospect, along with completing the Mt Winter acquisition, remain our highest priorities," said chief executive Anthony Hamilton.
Georgina said further updates will follow as it progresses toward a revised spud date for Hussar.