--- title: "Emperor Energy Advances Judith-2 Appraisal Well with NOPSEMA Submission" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/288805899.md" description: "Emperor Energy advanced its Judith-2 appraisal well by resubmiting a revised Environmental Plan to NOPSEMA, addressing previous regulatory concerns. The company has secured long-lead equipment and is finalizing negotiations for the Valaris-107 rig, targeting late Q1 CY27 drilling. This progress supports the assessment of the 166 BCF contingent gas resource in Victoria's offshore Gippsland Basin." datetime: "2026-06-05T04:03:58.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/288805899.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/288805899.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/288805899.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Emperor Energy Advances Judith-2 Appraisal Well with NOPSEMA Submission Emperor Energy has moved its **Judith-2 appraisal well** in the offshore Gippsland Basin closer to execution by resubmitting a revised **Environmental Plan** to the **National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA)**. The project sits in Emperor’s **100%-owned VIC/P47** offshore permit and is aimed at appraising the **Judith gas field**. In practical terms, Judith-2 is intended to test and flow gas from a known accumulation and gather the data needed to assess whether it can support a commercial development, rather than simply proving that gas is present. Emperor said the revised Environmental Plan addresses all issues raised in an earlier NOPSEMA information request, and expects approval in the short term. Alongside the approval process, Emperor has continued work on long-lead equipment and service procurement, and the company said **Judith-2** remains planned for **late Q1 CY27**. ****Judith Field Background**** Emperor holds **100%** of **VIC/P47**, and in March the **Commonwealth–Victoria Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority**approved a **24-month** extension to the permit’s primary term. That extension pushed the maximum timeframe to drill **Judith-2** out to **August 2027** and extended the overall permit term to **August 2029**. The company has reported a **166 BCF** **2C contingent recoverable gas resource** for the **Judith Gas Field**, along with a **1,859 BCF** **P50 prospective recoverable gas resource** across Judith and the underlying **Longtom gas sands**. In its March capital raising announcement, Emperor said **Judith-2** is designed to appraise the previously discovered **Judith East** contingent resource and the deeper **Longtom Deeps** upside through flow testing. Emperor had previously firmed up an arrangement with **APA Group** covering gas processing plant and pipeline design for a potential future Judith development concept. ****Contracts and Timing**** On the operational side, Emperor said long lead-time drilling equipment has already been secured, including the **surface wellhead**, **surface conductor casing,** and multiple **casing strings**. The company also said tenders have been released for drilling support services including **drilling consumables**, **mudlogging**, **directional drilling**, **wireline logging,** and **logging while drilling (LWD)**. Tenders for **cementing** and **shore-based services** are also close to being released, and a contractor has been selected for a site geophysical survey planned for **August**. On the rig front, draft drilling contract terms with **Valaris** have progressed and negotiations are in the final stages for the **Valaris-107 jack-up rig**, with rig availability confirmed for **March 2027**. ****Execution Path Clearer, Not Complete**** Today’s update shows Emperor has moved Judith-2 forward on the two fronts that matter most before drilling: environmental approval work and practical drilling preparation. However, the project still carries the usual offshore appraisal risks around regulatory sign-off, final rig contracting, funding sufficiency, and whether the well’s flow test supports commercial gas rates. The next meaningful milestones are NOPSEMA’s response to the revised plan, completion of the **Valaris-107** contract, the **August** site survey and any further clarity on how the remaining appraisal program is funded. ### Related Stocks - [EMP.AU](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/EMP.AU.md) - [APA.AU](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/APA.AU.md) - [VAL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VAL.US.md) - [VAL+.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VAL+.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Appia Identifies Several Additional Uranium Drill Targets from MT Survey Lines 1 and 3 at Its Otherside Uranium Property | APAAF Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297510281.md) - [Appia Rare Earths identifies additional uranium drill targets at Otherside property in Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297509821.md) - [Corcel outlines Angola onshore Kwanza Basin portfolio, targets first drilling in H1 2027 investor deck](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297641466.md) - [REG - Orosur Mining Inc - Anzá Activity Accelerating](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297740505.md) - [Geiger Makes New Uranium Discovery at the Previously Undrilled Fox Zone, Directly on Trend with Orano's Kiggavik Uranium Deposits | BSENF Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297633664.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**