The Pikka East Block Mitquq prospect is approximately 6 miles from the Pikka Nanushuk Development A pad, or ND-A. Oil Search describes Mitquq's oil potential as "high value tieback volumes to future Pikka infrastructure."

Six miles of ice road will have to be built for Mitquq 1, starting from the 3S Nuna gravel road, Oil Search says.

Success at the Stirrup prospect, which is adjacent to the Horseshoe Block, "could de-risk additional fairways to underpin a possible stand-alone" Horseshoe development, the company says, noting Stirrup is a "direct analogue" to the Horseshoe 1 Nanushuk discovery drilled by Armstrong in 2015.

Stirrup 1 will require 26 miles of snow trail to mobilize the rig and camp and 16 miles of ice road.

Oil Search has secured the Doyon Arctic Fox and Nabors' 7-ES rigs, as well as contracted for all other services for the coming winter's work.

Oil Search's North Slope exploration group is headed by Josef Chmielowski, vice president of exploration and new ventures, and former geoscientist with Alaska's Division of Oil and Gas, who was known for his knowledge of the Nanushuk and Torok formations in the more westerly region of the Slope.

Oil Search also outlined Pikka development work planned for the coming winter, including the following:

* Civil works season 1 of 2.

* Construction of key infrastructure to facilitate both early production and full-field development.

* Season 1 scope (in order of priority).

* Road and bridge to ND-B plus the pad.

* Operations center pad.

* Additional gravel scope as weather permits.

* Production review.

* Value engineering.

* Appraisal well analysis.

* FEED preparations.

* Permitting and approvals.

- KAY CASHMAN

Editor's note: see story in Sept. 29 issue, available Friday, Sept. 27 at www.PetroleumNews.com