Jurien No. 1 Well was located on the western margin of the Perth Basin, Western Australia, approximately 76 miles south-south-east of Geraldton. The well was drilled by Oil Drilling and Exploration (W.A.) Fty Limited for West Australian Petroleum Fty Limited, to a total depth of 3366 feet. Drilling commenced on 9th July, 1962, and was completed on 21st August, 1962. A full programme of logging, testing, and coring was undertaken.
The well was spudded in the Coastal Limestone of Pleistocene age, and penetrated 811 feet of Lower Triassic Kockatea Shale; 2274 feet of Permian (Artinskian) sediments; 35 feet of (1) Permian sandstone, and entered Precambrian granitic gneiss at 3208 feet.
The well was drilled to investigate the stratigraphy and petroleum potential of the Permian sediments in the Jurien Anticline. At least 200 feet of structural closure over eight square miles were proved for that area on the basement refractor. The main objectives were the sandstones in the Irwin River Coal Measures and High Cliff Sandstone. No potential reservoir beds were observed and only the Lower Triassic Kockatea Shale appeared to be a good source rock for hydrocarbons although minor oil traces were observed in some of the Permian section.
Three drillstem tests were carried out over the intervals 552 to 595 feet, 1940 to 2020 feet, and 2196 to 2356 feet. No water, oil, or gas was recovered in any of the tests.
The stratigraIilic drilling operation at Jurien No. 1 was subsidized under the Petroleum Search Subsidy Act 1959-1961, from surface to total depth.