ADX Energy has started drilling the shallow gas exploration well Hochfeld-1 (HOCH-1) in the ADX-AT-I exploration license in Upper Austria.
The Australia-based company has a 50% economic interest in the HOCH prospect and acts as operator.
Drilling activity had reached a measured depth of 96 m using the MD-150 rig operated by MND Drilling & Services.
Hochfeld-1 represents the first of three shallow gas prospects for ADX Energy in 2026. Subsequent wells are planned at the GOLD-1 and SCHOE-1 sites in the ADX-AT-I and ADX-AT-II license areas.
The current drilling program targets a total measured depth of around 1,430 m, or an actual vertical depth of 1,145 m, and the operation will last approximately 14 days.
The process will then advance to 430 m before placing and cementing the 7-inch casing, then continue with a 6â…›-inch hole section to the target depth.
If gas is detected, ADX Energy plans to study and suspend the well for future production tests to evaluate reserves. Hochfeld-1 targets Miocene Hall Formation sandstones, in which the biogenic gas content is estimated to be 99% methane.
ADX Energy’s assessment places the medium prospective resource at eight billion cubic feet (bcf) for the HOCH prospect, and the high prospective resource at 17.3 bcf, calculated using SPE-PRMS (2018) standards.
Comparable wells in the Hall formation regionally have produced initial rates of up to nine million standard cubic feet per day, equivalent to approximately 1,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Technical planning for well-utilized 3D seismic data, with the company identifying amplitude anomalies and a Class 3 amplitude versus offset response.
These features delineate the stratigraphic trap and provide a direct indicator of hydrocarbons. The well location is situated on the east-southeast structural ridge of the prospect, characterized by a three-way dip shut-in and an up-dip shut-in seal.
ADX Energy has identified up to ten shallow gas prospects in its two Austrian permits, which focus on similar Miocene reservoirs.
Upon completion of the Hochfeld-1 program, the company intends to drill SCHOE-1 after GOLD-1, with SCHOE located immediately south of Hochfeld-1.
According to ADX Energy, the HOCH-1 and SCHOE prospects are considered technically independent.
If both locations generate commercial volumes, ADX Energy could look to develop a cluster to utilize the joint processing and pipeline infrastructure, as the existing pipeline network in Upper Austria is located approximately 2 km from the Hochfeld-1 site.
The company’s internal analysis states that an 8 billion cubic foot discovery at Hochfeld-1, at current European gas prices, would generate gross revenues in excess of €120 million ($141.2 million).