88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTC:EEENF) said it is set to commence the flow test and stimulation of the Hickory-1 discovery in mid-February.
The $11 million programme, part of 88's Project Phoenix, is located in Alaska, so the operation will require an ice road.
Investors were told the team would target two primary zones: the Slope Fan System (SFS) and Shelf Margin Deltaic (SMD).
Each will undergo separate testing, expected to take about ten days each. Hickory-1, being a vertical well, is not ideal for the production phase, but the test will provide essential data for future development planning, 88 said.
This includes information on reservoir deliverability, fluid compositions, pressures, and connectivity.
It's expected the horizontal wells planned for Project Phoenix could yield flow rates six to 12 times higher than those from vertical wells, based on existing models.
The flow testing at Hickory-1 is crucial for gathering information to refine these development plans and enhance the understanding of the reservoir's potential.
Explaining its approach, 88 Energy said: "Offset exploration vertical well tests, similar to the Hickory-1 discovery well, have all flowed in the 50-100 BOPD [barrels of oil per day] range per test.
"Water-to-oil ratios, gas-to-oil ratios and the evolution of rates and pressures over time are critical datasets that assist in development planning and forecasting.
"It is not uncommon for formation water to be produced sustainably in conjunction with hydrocarbons in these types of reservoirs, as is often observed in producing analogues in the Lower 48.
"Vertical wells provide cost-effective access to test multiple reservoirs in a single wellbore and are therefore the crucial first steps on the path to development of Project Phoenix resources."