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Elixir Energy Limited (“Elixir” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on its 100% owned Grandis Gas Project located in Queensland’s Taroom Trough, which is proximate to the Wallumbilla gas hub.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Land access agreement executed
- Contractor selection process well supported
- Daydream-2 appraisal well on track for drilling year end 2023
- Evolving Federal Government emissions policies support Grandis
Elixir and a local landowner have executed the land access agreement for the Daydream-2 well (called a Conduct and Compensation Agreement – a CCA – in Queensland). Well-site access has been designed to minimize the environmental footprint and requires minimal civil works.
Elixir’s Managing Director recently visiting the Daydream-2 well location
Elixir will shortly proceed to drill a water well at the location to both provide water for the drilling operations and deliver the means to monitor local ground-water quality via an independent laboratory, to ensure the drilling of the well and its completion do not cause any environmental issues. Post Elixir’s oil and gas operations, the well will be provided to the landowner for agricultural purposes.
A process of canvassing of expressions of interest from drilling and ancillary service providers has recently closed and interest has been strong. In parallel Elixir is negotiating with a drilling service company and a significant local operator about various forms of cooperation such as sharing mobilization costs.
The timing of the Daydream-2 well potentially hinges on the timing of the drilling activities of this other local operator and the rig becoming available. At this stage Elixir still assesses that Daydream-2 should be ready to spud at around the end of 2023.
Earlier this week the Federal Government announced changes to the Safeguard Mechanism -
This mechanism regulates the emissions from certain larger industrial ventures in Australia (including gas developments). In this context Elixir notes:
1. The very low CO2 (around 1%) in the raw gas in the Taroom Trough (as evidenced from open file data for producing assets in the region for which the Taroom Trough provided the source rocks). Such levels of CO2 meet gas pipeline specifications - as such they are not removed as part of the gas development - and hence are not scope 1 or 2 emissions of the gas supplier.
2. Grandis’ close proximity to existing transmission infrastructure allows for a lower emissions profile than for more distant supply options.
3. The existing electrical infrastructure in the region will facilitate the electrification of future gas developments, ranging from compressor stations to the drilling of wells. Backed by renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs), that option (not available in more remote areas) will facilitate a future gas development project with minimal scope 1 and 2 emissions.
4. The Government’s agencies such as the ACCC and AEMO have recently noted a rapidly emerging shortfall between gas demand and supply on the East Coast. The new policy does not change demand – but arguably does reduce supply options. Advantaged projects such as Grandis are therefore placed in an even stronger competitive position.
Elixir’s Managing Director, Mr Neil Young, said: “Our Grandis Gas Project is proceeding well as we progress towards the drilling of the Daydream-2 appraisal well by the end of this year. This is a very high impact well where success will add material volumes of now even more competitive gas resources to a gas market that Government bodies such as the ACCC and AEMO notes will very soon be desperate for new gas supplies.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Elixir Energy, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Elixir Energy
Overview
Elixir Energy (ASX:EXR) is a gas exploration and development company currently focused on its portfolio of natural gas assets in Queensland, Australia and Mongolia. As an early mover in both areas, Elixir Energy has been the first company ever to free-flow gas from the deep Taroom Trough in Queensland and flow gas of any description in Mongolia.
Elixir Energy’s Grandis Gas project in Queensland is located in the Taroom Trough in the Southern Bowen Basin, where Australia’s premier physical and commercial gas hub – Wallumbilla – is immediately adjacent. Market factors are now driving new rounds of drilling in the Taroom Trough contributing to its reputation as an emerging energy super basin with major electricity as well as gas infrastructure.
A successful free-flowing test was conducted on the Lorelle Sandstone and has indicated it could produce a commercial flow rate of gas, with the breakeven commercial initial flow rate estimated at 2.5 million cubic feet per day.
Gas flow from Stage 1 Lorelle Sandstone post stimulation
Elixir Energy’s Nomgon coal-bed methane (CBM) project is located in Mongolia.
The Nomgon CBM project is in the South Gobi region of Mongolia and on the Chinese/Mongolian border. The ideal location of the asset provides access to excellent infrastructure, including planned pipelines and local mines as customers. The Nomgon project includes a CBM pilot production plant, which flowed gas in its early stages and is now moving to progressively de-water with a view to building up a sustained gas flow rate.
The company is led by a highly experienced team with direct histories in Queensland, Australia and Mongolia and expertise in the natural resources industry, community engagement and working with government stakeholders.
Company Highlights
- Elixir Energy (ASX:EXR) is an exploration and development company with energy assets in Australia and Mongolia, targeting natural gas and renewable energy/hydrogen.
- The company’s Grandis Gas project in Queensland is located in an established gas and oil region, with exceptional access to existing infrastructure and high gas prices.
- The region is currently hosting multi-operator activity, including by Shell.
- Elixir has discovered a deep free-flowing gas zone in Grandis – the first of its kind.
- The company was also the first to flow natural gas in Mongolia, pioneering production in the country.
- A management team with a wide range of expertise in the natural resources sector provides leadership for maximising the value of Elixir Energy’s assets.
Key Projects
Grandis Gas Project
The company’s asset in Queensland, Australia, covers approximately 1,000 square kilometers in an established oil and gas province. The project is well-suited for cost-effective transportation to domestic and international gas markets.
Project Highlights:
- Strong Local Infrastructure: The region's long history of oil and gas production has resulted in a robust infrastructure, including gas transportation and electricity transmission access – and community support for the industry.
- Adjacent to Current and Proposed Pipelines: The asset is located close to existing – and proposed gas pipelines to assist in efficient and low-cost transportation as production commences.
- Impressive Initial Flow Test Results: After a successful suite of DFITs, free-flowing test on the Lorelle Sandstone has been successfully stimulated. Elixir’s technical and economic modeling indicates the Lorelle Sandstone alone could produce a commercial flow rate of gas, with the breakeven commercial initial flow rate estimated at 2.5 million cubic feet per day.
- Project Expansion: In August 2024, Elixir was formally awarded a 100 percent working interest in ATP 2077 by the Queensland Government. The area is prospective for both deep and shallow gas, with an independently certified 2C resources of 173 billion cubic feet.
Daydream-2 Lorelle Sandstone Flow Testing*
Nomgon CBM Project
Elixir Energy’s 100-percent-owned coal-bed methane (CBM) project is ideally located in the South Gobi region of Mongolia. This location gives the asset access to robust local infrastructure and close access to Chinese energy markets – the world’s largest.
Project Highlights:
- CBM Pilot Project In Production: The pilot plant passed a key production milestone of 200,000 square cubic feet per day in its early stages. Water production has progressed since these early flows with a view to de-pressuring the CBM reservoir, leading to sustained gas flows.
- District-scale Asset: The Nomgon project covers a significant 30,000 square kilometers in Mongolia. Initial exploration campaigns have been promising and indicate the potential for the asset to become a significant producer of regional energy markets.
Management Team
Richard Cottee - Non-executive Chairman
Richard Cottee was appointed as the non-executive chairman of the company on April 29, 2019. Cottee was the managing director of coal-seam-gas(CSG)-focused Queensland Gas Company (QGC) during its growth from a $20-million market capitalization junior explorer through to its acquisition by BG Group for $5.7 billion. QGC’s CSG assets are now operated by Shell and produce gas that is sold to China and other LNG markets.
Originally a lawyer, Cottee has spent the vast majority of his career in senior executive roles in the energy industry, including as CEO at CS Energy, NRG Europe, Central Petroleum and Nexus Energy. A 32-year veteran of the industry, Cottee is a strong business development professional and a graduate of The University of Queensland.
Neil Young - Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Neil Young was appointed to the board of Elixir on December 14, 2018, as its chief executive officer. Young has more than 20 years of experience in senior management positions in the upstream and downstream parts of the energy sector, focusing on business development, new ventures, gas marketing and general commercial functions. He has worked for a range of companies in the UK and Australia, including EY, Tarong Energy and Santos. Young founded Golden Horde Ltd in 2011 to explore gas on the Chinese border in Mongolia. He has also developed various new ventures in other countries including Kazakhstan, Japan and the USA. Young has an M.A. (Hons) joint degree in economics/politics from the University of Edinburgh.
Stephen Kelemen - Non-executive Director
Stephen Kelemen was appointed as the non-executive director of the company on May 6, 2019. Kelemen led Santos’ coal seam gas (CSG) team from its inception in 2004 and drove the growth in this area that allowed Santos to become one of Australia’s leading CSG companies.
An engineering graduate from Adelaide University, Kelemen served Santos for 38 years in multiple technical and leadership roles.
Kelemen is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland’s Centre for Coal Seam Gas and also acts as a non-executive director on the boards of Galilee Energy (ASX:GLL) and Advent Energy.
Anna Sloboda - Non-executive Director
Anna Sloboda was appointed as the non-executive director of the company on October 1, 2020. Sloboda is a joint Belarusian/Australian citizen and has more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, and in developing junior resource companies operating around the world.
Sloboda is currently an executive director of Red Citadel Resources Pty Ltd, a privately owned mineral resources exploration company with a range of projects in Africa and South America.
She also serves as an advisory committee member, maritime archaeology, at the Western Australian Museum.
Previously she was a co-founder of Trans-Tasman Resources and in that capacity had substantial experience in dealing with Chinese off-takers and partners. Other prior employers include Lehman Brothers, Clough and Curtin University.
Sloboda has a Master of Economics from Belarusian University and an executive MBA from Melbourne Business School.
Victoria Allinson - Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer
Victoria Allinson is a fellow of The Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and an NSX-nominated advisor. She has more than 30 years of accounting and auditing experience, including senior accounting positions in a number of listed companies and was an audit manager for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Allinson has gained professional experience while living and working in both Australia and the United Kingdom.
Her previous experience has included being company secretary and CFO for a number of listed companies, including ASX-listed: Kiland, Safety Medical Products, Marmota Limited, Centrex Metals, Adelaide Energy, Enterprise Energy NL, and Island Sky Australia as well as several unlisted companies.
Drilling Commenced at Viani in Fiji
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program has commenced at the Viani Project, Fiji and will test for extensions to the quartz vein gold mineralisation at depth.
- Phase 1 is expected to be completed in early 2025, with plans for additional drilling under the same program dependent on the initial results
- The Viani Project (SPL1513) covers an area of approximately 200km2 and is largely underexplored.
- At the Dakuniba prospect within Viani, low sulphidation epithermal high-grade gold mineralisation has been mapped over >3km strike length.
- Diamond drilling completed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1995 to 1997 intersected high-grade gold in low sulphidation epithermal quartz veins, including 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au.
Alice Queen’s Managing Director, Andrew Buxton said,
With drilling underway, Alice Queen is positioned to test the epithermal gold-style mineralisation identified in historic drilling at the Viani Project. Weather permitting, we anticipate completing the Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program in early 2025. Following this, our exploration team will mobilise the drill rig to the Sabeto Project in Fiji to maintain the momentum of this campaign. To deliver timely results to shareholders, we intend to accelerate the analysis of the drill core at ALS Brisbane.”
Image 1 – Diamond drilling at Viani
Details
Geology
The geology of the Viani Project (SPL 1513) comprises olivine basalts and volcaniclastics of the Natewa Volcanic Group which are intruded by andesite sills and dykes. In the 1940s, gold mineralisation was found by local prospectors near the village of Dakuniba. At Dakuniba, low sulphidation style epithermal gold occurs in quartz veins, and silicified rocks along a 3km long NE trending zone.
In 1995-1997, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drilled six diamond holes at Dakuniba and intersected high-grade gold in chalcedonic, crustiform, colloform banded quartz veins at depths of 50m to 100m below surface (i.e. MJVFV-5 intersected 2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au, incl 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au at 121m downhole). This high-grade gold mineralisation is open in all directions.
Proposed Drill program
The initial Phase 1 drill program at Viani (see Table 1) will comprise three diamond drillholes designed to test continuity to the epithermal gold mineralisation previously intersected in JICA drillhole MJVFV- 5 (2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au) (see Figure 2). The drilling will test for extensions to the gold mineralisation at depth and along strike.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Alice Queen Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Elixir Energy Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects