Santos Quokka-1 Well Flows 2,190 Barrels Daily on North Slope

A single-stage fracture stimulation on the Quokka-1 appraisal well coaxed 2,190 barrels of oil per day from the Nanushuk formation, results that Santos announced April 8 and that the company says could anchor a second major development east of its flagship Pikka project on Alaska's North Slope.

Spudded January 1, 2026, Quokka-1 reached a total depth of 4,787 feet (1,459 meters) and encountered approximately 143 feet of net oil pay at average porosity near 19 percent. Santos holds a 51 percent working interest in the Quokka Unit; Repsol holds the remaining 49 percent.

The well sits roughly six miles east of the Mitquq-1 discovery well drilled in 2020 and to the east of the Pikka development area, within the same Nanushuk reservoir system that underpins neighboring projects across the Slope.

Santos Managing Director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said the results "demonstrate the exceptional quality of the Nanushuk reservoir and confirm our geological assessment of this significant accumulation." He positioned Quokka as complementary to Pikka, noting that the light-gravity crude it produces carries favorable pricing dynamics relative to Pikka oil, an advantage that could improve overall project economics for the Alaska portfolio.

Santos said the flow test results support a potential two-drill-site development concept with production capacity comparable to Pikka's phase-1 project. At the close of FY25, the company reported 2C contingent resources of 177 million barrels of oil equivalent for the Quokka Unit, a figure that will be updated as appraisal data are folded into its FY26 resource assessment.

The company said it has already begun development planning and initial permitting. A 3D seismic program is planned for the 2026-27 winter season to refine field design options before committing to a development path.

The announcement lands as Pikka phase-1 commissioning approaches, meaning the North Slope is entering a period of overlapping construction and start-up activity. A two-drill-site footprint and Quokka's proximity to existing Pikka infrastructure could limit additional surface disturbance relative to a standalone greenfield development, a consideration that typically weighs heavily in environmental review and permitting on the Slope. Further appraisal, subsurface work, and regulatory timelines will determine how quickly Quokka's production potential translates into wells in the ground and barrels moving down the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.