Exxon sets first Point Thomson well

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Initial well, an injector, drilled to 5,000-foot limit with producer to spud soon; highly modified Nabors rig performs just fine

By Wesley Loy

For Petroleum News

ExxonMobil already has achieved a minor milestone in its nascent drilling campaign at Point Thomson, the disputed North Slope oil and gas field.

On May 22 workers finished setting surface casing on a well drilled to 5,000 feet, the maximum depth the state allows between April 15 and Nov. 1, said Exxon spokesman Bill Brackin.

The well, an injector called PTU 15, is the first of two holes Exxon pledged to drill at Point Thomson as part of efforts to retain possession of Point Thomson leases and satisfy state pressure to get on with development of the rich but long-dormant field.

The well was spud May 8 and was the first drilled at Point Thomson since 1983.

The second well, a producer called PTU 16, also will be drilled to 5,000 feet later this summer, Brackin said.

Drilling to resume this fall

While the operations are on land along the Beaufort Sea coastline, the drilling is directional toward a target depth about two miles offshore, Brackin said.

Exxon hired a Nabors Alaska rig to bore into the high-pressure Point Thomson field, and the rig is performing well with minimal nonproductive time considering millions of dollars in modifications including a new system for handling extra heavy drilling muds, new power systems and derrick upgrades, he said.

“Yeah, technically it’s the Nabors 27E, but practically it’s a new rig,” he said.

Exxon has said the first phase of Point Thomson development is a five-well, $1.3 billion natural gas cycling project to produce 10,000 barrels of liquid condensate per day for shipment down the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Exxon aims to begin production by the end of 2014.

Other major Point Thomson owners participating in the drilling include BP and ConocoPhillips, Exxon said.