The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued the permit for development of Kerr-McGee’s Nikaitchuq oil and gas project offshore Alaska’s North Slope in the shallow waters of the Beaufort Sea. <p>
The permit, POA-2005,1243, is for five years, involves three islands and a pad at Oliktok Point, and authorizes the big Oklahoma independent to place up to 952,000 cubic yards of gravel, 319,000 cubic yards seafloor sediments and 1,417, 600 cubic yards of overburden into 183.3 acres of U.S. waters to bury pipelines and construct the Nikaitchuq project.<p>
If approved by Kerr-McGee, the Nikaitchuq facilities will be built in phases, starting with the Oliktok pad.<p>
At its peak the project is expected to produce 60,000 barrels of oil per day, including small amounts of natural gas, and to produce through 2026.<p>
Nikaitchuq will have the first independent-operated production facilities on the North Slope, with only the initial production from Oliktok Point expected to flow through nearby ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk oil field facilities.<p>
Eni Petroleum is a partner in Nikaitchuq with Kerr-McGee.<p>
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Note: Watch for full story in the Feb. 26 edition of Petroleum News.