Analysis
Tamboran’s 25 September filing reports SS1-6H drilled and cemented to total depth in 32 days with a 9,505-foot usable lateral, and SS1-4H drilled to total depth in 24 days with a 9,329-foot lateral. The different wording matters: the reported endpoints are not demonstrably identical. These are well-level drilling milestones, not production-performance results.
Dividing usable lateral by the reported duration gives descriptive indices of about 297.03 and 388.71 feet per elapsed day. These are not bit rate-of-penetration measurements: elapsed time can include vertical sections, trips, casing and other operations. Different geology, depth, equipment or reporting boundaries can explain a difference. Two observations cannot establish a learning curve or causal improvement.
For a separate illustration, assume two otherwise comparable future jobs require the same work and one saves eight chargeable rig days. At assumed day rates of USD 25,000, 35,000 and 45,000, gross rig-time cost avoided is USD 200,000, 280,000 and 360,000. The chart applies this hypothetical eight-day saving, not a verified saving between the reported wells. Contracts may include minimum terms, mobilization and other fixed charges.
The decision must include completion cost, usable reservoir contact, test results, recovery and sales timing. A shorter drilling cycle can lose value if it reduces deliverability or adds remedial work. A defensible comparison uses consistent start and finish definitions, operation logs, chargeable time and matched geological scope. Without those inputs, no total cost per well, project return or statistically established productivity gain is estimated here.