Each one in plain English, with the numbers worked through for a shareholder.
28 Aug 2023flow test result▲ GoodMajor
Alameda-2 Unit 1B flowed lighter oil (19° API, 30 cP) to surface, peaking at 1,903 barrels a day and averaging 1,235 over a stabilised 12 hours, with no formation water. Unit 2 showed no moveable oil. Unit 1B is completed for production and the field development plan is under review.
Webinar slides for the 28 August Alameda-2 update, repeating the flow test results announced the same day. No new information is evident from the extract.
Unit 3 test confirmed moveable heavy oil, with an inflow rate equivalent to about 750 barrels a day, though it did not flow to surface. No formation water seen. Total logged net pay is now 346m (615m with fractures); Unit 2 testing has begun.
Alameda-2 reached planned total depth early. Logged net pay in Amistad Units 1A, 1B and 2 rises to 243m from 84m in Alameda-1 (538m allowing for fractures). Unit 3 logs are not yet included; resource update awaits testing.
June quarter report: Alameda-2 started drilling and Unit 1A flowed oil to surface, as already announced. Cash was $35.1m, down from $37.5m in March. Amistad estimate unchanged at 88 MMbbl prospective. No new results.
Alameda-2 reached 1,597mMD for the current hole section, ahead of plan, with oil shows and high gas through the reservoir and a third core taken. Logging and casing come next, then drilling to about 1,960mMD. No test results yet.
Alameda-2's shallowest Amistad unit (1A) flowed oil to surface unassisted from a 63m interval, though not at a measurable rate (40 barrels recovered). Oil is heavy (11.7° API). Melbana had given it low odds and counted no resource from it; drilling continues to deeper units.
Maiden estimate for the Hudson carbonate prospect in WA-544-P and NT/P87 (Melbana 100%): mean 395 MMbbl oil-only or 2,034 bcf gas-only, with a 12% chance of success. Melbana plans to farm out part to fund 3D seismic.
Drilling of Alameda-2, the first of two Block 9 appraisal wells (Melbana 30%, operator), began on 19 June 2023 (Cuban time). It tests the Amistad zone and resumes drilling after the Zapato-1 disappointment.
Preparations for Alameda-2 are expected to finish by Monday 19 June 2023 (Cuban time), with the conductor set and drilling to follow shortly after. A Block 9 committee meeting with Sonangol and CUPET was held.
Dr Chris McKeown joins as Chief Commercial Officer, after a decade at New Zealand Oil & Gas. He is expected to help with farmouts and growth, adding to the 2022 management hires.
Mobilisation for Alameda-2 has begun; the cellar is built and camp should be operational within a week. Planned TD is 1,960mMD, targeting the Amistad zone (1.9bn bbl in place, 88 MMbbl prospective). Purcell and the CFO will be on site in June.
The rig contractor expected to start mobilising in two days. Ahead of a voluntary trading blackout, Purcell sold 10m shares for $872,439 and Stickland sold 2.2m for $200,900, and Purcell remained the largest shareholder with an indirect 7.0%.
The drilling contractor is ahead of schedule and expects to start mobilising the rig to Melbana's pad within 10 to 14 days, earlier than the delay implied.
March quarter report: Alameda-2 (planned TD 1,960mMD) is delayed but fully prepared, and cash was $37.5m. The AC/P50 surrender was approved, WA-488-P was extended, and the small holding sale facility was announced. No new drilling results.
The contractor has started the last well of its other Cuban program and will then move straight to Alameda-2. Melbana says all personnel, equipment and permits are in place.
The regulator approved a 24-month suspension of the AC/P70 Permit Year 1-3 work commitments with a matching extension of the permit term. Permit Year 1-3 now ends on 14 February 2027 and the permit term on 14 February 2030.
Alameda-2 start is delayed about five weeks because the Cuban government asked the rig contractor to drill a second gas well for a power plant first. Melbana calls it temporary; continuous drilling of both wells could save over $1m.
Half-year to 31 December 2022 shows a profit of $403,754, versus a $9.49m profit a year earlier. Zapato-1 remains suspended with no decision, Alameda-2 and -3 are the forward program, and WA-488-P's extension to August 2024 was approved in February 2023.
S&P Dow Jones index rebalance notice. Melbana is listed as an addition to the All Ordinaries index, effective 20 March 2023. No company operational or financial change.
Copy of the presentation for the 22 February 2023 investor webinar on Alameda-2 preparations, as flagged earlier. The excerpt shows only the cover letter and disclaimers, with no new results.
Melbana is offering a sale facility for holders of 6,170 shares or fewer (under A$500 at A$0.081). About 2,100 of roughly 10,000 holders, 6.99m shares, are affected and will be sold unless they opt out by 6 April 2023. Cuts admin costs.
Melbana announced an investor webinar for 22 February 2023, where Andrew Purcell would update on Alameda-2 drilling preparations and Chief Geoscientist Errol Johnstone would discuss the objectives and geology. It included a Q&A session and reported no new results.
Final drilling permit for Alameda-2 received. The rig is due to start mobilising in the third week of March 2023, and civil works at the pad are complete. Amistad is quoted at 1.9bn bbl in place and 88 MMbbl prospective. Reaching the objectives could support a maiden reserve.
Melbana said preparations for Alameda-2, the first Block 9 appraisal well, were advanced, with mobilisation notices due in early March 2023. The well, planned to reach 1,960mMD, will flow-test the Amistad reservoir, assessed at 1.9 billion barrels in place and 109 million barrels Prospective Resource.