Santos announced it had been awarded new acreage on-trend with the Dorado discovery in the adjacent permit, offshore Western Australia, in a joint venture with BP.

Santos will operate the new permit, WA-541-P, in the Northern Carnarvon Basin which lies to the west of the recent Dorado, Roc and Phoenix South hydrocarbon discoveries in the Bedout Sub-basin.

The southern portion of WA-541-P is directly adjacent to the proven Dorado structural-stratigraphic play trend, which is interpreted to extend into the new block.

Santos Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr Kevin Gallagher said Santos is committed to building its position as the leading producer of gas to the WA market.

“Santos is pleased to have been awarded this acreage on-trend with the Dorado discovery, a now proven world-class, liquids-rich petroleum system with high-quality reservoirs.”

“We are excited at the opportunity to increase our exposure to this highly prospective region, leveraging our offshore operating expertise and building on the success of our 2019 drilling campaign to pursue further growth through our activities in Western Australia.”

“We are proud to be the biggest producer of domestic gas in Western Australia, powering the industries that power Australia.”

WA-541-P covers 6,964 square kilometres and is a 50-50 joint venture.

About Santos

An Australian energy pioneer since 1954, Santos is a leading oil and gas producer, supplying Australian and Asian customers.
With over 3,000 employees across Australia and Asia, Santos’ foundations are based on safe, sustainable operations and working in partnership with host communities, governments, business partners and shareholders.
The project area encompasses petroleum permit NT/RL5 and, with future phased- development in the Caldita field to the south, petroleum permit NT/RL6.

About BP

BP (NYSE:BP) is one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, serving millions of customers every day in more than 80 countries, and employing nearly 85,000 people. BP's business segments are oil and gas exploration & production, and refining & marketing. In alternative energies, BP has low- and no-carbon wind and biofuels businesses. Through these activities, BP provides fuel for transportation; energy for heat and light; services for motorists; and petrochemicals products for plastics, textiles and food packaging. It has strong positions in many of the world's hydrocarbons basins and strong market positions in key economies.