AOGCC approves Nuiqsut offtake rate

The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has approved a gas offtake rate of 1 million cubic feet a day from the Colville River field to meet ConocoPhillips Alaska’s contractual obligations to provide natural gas to the Village of Nuiqsut.

The commission said Feb. 13 that the 1 million cubic feet applies to all currently defined pools within the Colville River field and any future pools that commingle production at the Alpine Central Facility.

At a Nov. 28 hearing ConocoPhillips demonstrated an obligation to provide up to 1 million cubic feet a day for Nuiqsut under terms of a contract between the company’s predecessor, ARCO Alaska, and Kuukpik Corp.

The North Slope Borough, acting on behalf of Nuiqsut and Kuukpik, is in the process of commissioning a gas transmission line from the Alpine Central Facility to the village.

In approving the 1 million cubic feet per day offtake rate for Nuiqsut, the commission said natural gas may not be severed from the Colville River field for any other purpose than to meet ConocoPhillips’ contractual obligations to provide gas to Nuiqsut.

—Kristen Nelson