Forcenergy begins permitting for Tomcat at West Foreland
Forcenergy Inc. has begun permitting for its Tomcat exploration project near existing gas production on the West Forelands.
As many as four onshore oil and gas exploration wells may be drilled. A 3.5 mile access road will be constructed primarily within Native lands and will run southerly from the 1 West Forelands well site.
Gravel will be obtained from local gravel sources.
The facility will consist of equipment associated with an exploratory drill rig including five diesel-electric generators, two rig boilers, a rig heater, a well test flare and two fuel storage tanks.
Work on the project is expected to begin in June.
The company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 15.
Cumulative impacts study funded
The Environmental Protection Agency is funding a study to look at cumulative impacts of oil and gas activities on the North Slope and in the U.S. Beaufort Sea.
The study, essentially a literature search funded with a $1.5 million appropriation, will be done by the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council.
A committee of16 to 18 people will provide advice to the National Research Council about the study.
Nominations for the committee should be directed to David Policansky at the following address and should include the full name and address of the nominee, affiliations and special area of knowledge:
Dr. David Policansky, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., (HA354), Washington, DC 20418; or by e-mail at [email protected]
AOGCC schedules hearing on regulatory cost charge, drilling regulations
The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has set a hearing date of March 21 to hear comments on regulations proposed for calculating regulatory cost charges and an amendment to existing regulations to allow for temporary oral approval of certain drilling operations involving a new bottom-hole location.
The meeting will be held from 9-11 a.m. at the commission's offices at 3001 Porcupine Dr. in Anchorage, and will be extended beyond 11 a.m. if necessary to accommodate those present before 10 a.m. who do not have an opportunity to testify.
Copies of the proposed regulations may be obtained from the commission's offices, or on its website at: http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ADMIN/ogc/homeogc.htm
The commission discussed the proposed regulations at public meetings in early February.
This regulatory cost charge method of funding the commission was adopted by the Legislature last year and the legislation allowed the commission to determine the first year's regulatory cost charge without benefit of regulations.
The commission needs to have regulations in place by the beginning of the fiscal year.
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