BP makes room for 32 more Prudhoe wells

Field operator identifies additional oil reserves near Z pad

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News Editor-in-Chief

Alaska North Slope Prudhoe Bay field operator BP Exploration (Alaska) has applied to the state of Alaska to fill in an unused reserves pit on the southeast corner of Z pad with gravel to make room for 32 new wells, a combination of producers and injectors.

“Additional oil reserves have been identified in the area of Z Pad,” BP told the state, “however, existing surface infrastructure is already at capacity and additional facilities are required in order to realize these reserves.”

Z Pad is in the Prudhoe Bay unit western operating area, where BP is developing satellite accumulations at Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion and Polaris.

There would also be a small pad expansion to accommodate up to 14 vertical support members for two new skids.

The work will take place beginning in January and continuing through the end of 2005.

The gravel work, some 35,500 cubic yards, will be done this year.

Several formations will be accessed

Beaudo said the wells will be a combination of producers and water/miscible gas injectors.

“This activity continues the trend within greater Prudhoe Bay to access western satellite fields” and continue Eileen West End development, he said, and the gravel work will fill in enclosed pits on the pad.

The work also includes installation of as many as eight new truckable modules to be set on vertical support members, interconnecting piping between the modules and piping tie-ins from the new modules to existing pipelines adjacent to Z Pad.

Engineering will continue through the second quarter of 2004, with gravel placement to begin as soon as permits are issued. Infrastructure placement will start in the second quarter of 2004 and continue into 2005.