By: Energy capital & power

Australian upstream company Kinetiko Energy has begun drilling production test well 271-KA03PT10 at its onshore gas project in South Africa.

The three-week drilling campaign is adjacent to five existing gas-producing wells and is designed to boost output in support of a planned LNG pilot project, scheduled for commissioning in late 2026.

The well will evaluate gas flow rates, reservoir pressure and depletion curves, with initial flow results expected by August 2025. Kinetiko Energy is incorporating laboratory findings from Oilfield Technologies Australia in deploying the test well project.

“The Company is confident these revised methods will achieve consistent and enhanced gas deliverability,” stated Adam Sierakowski, Executive Chairman, Kinetiko Energy.

The project falls under Kinetiko Energy’s plan to contribute to South Africa’s energy transformation and security as investor interest increases in the country’s helium and methane sector, according to Sierakowski.

In June 2025, the company raised $2.2 million to fund its exploration and development activities in South Africa.