Emperor Energy receives regulatory approval for Judith-2 appraisal well

Emperor Energy has received approval from the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) for its Environment Plan to drill the Judith-2 Appraisal Well. This regulatory approval is a key milestone for the Judith Gas Field project located in the offshore Gippsland Basin, which aims to supply gas to Australia’s east coast energy market.

The company has secured the VALARIS 107 jack-up drilling rig, with operations scheduled to begin in April 2027. The appraisal well is intended to evaluate a 166 billion cubic feet (Bcf) contingent recoverable gas resource discovered by Shell in 1989, as well as a 142 Bcf prospective recoverable gas resource in the deeper Longtom gas sands. Independent assessments by GaffneyCline place the total prospective recoverable gas resource in the Judith structure at 1.859 trillion cubic feet (Tcf).