Aurora planning new Nicolai Creek well

Aurora Gas is planning to drill a gas development well at the Nicolai Creek unit.

The local independent, which operates five natural gas fields on the west side of Cook Inlet, is permitting the Nicolai Creek Unit No. 10 well. Because the proposed well would be within 3,000 feet of a well capable of producing from the same interval, Aurora is requesting a spacing exemption from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

NCU No. 10 would have a top hole location in the North participating area of the unit, near the NCU No. 3 well, and a bottom hole location around 1,800 feet to the west. The unit is at the northern end of Trading Bay, on the western coast of Cook Inlet.

The state recently expanded Nicolai Creek, adding about 60 acres to the onshore unit and creating two new participating areas: the West Beluga PA and the West Tyonek PA.

Those participating areas include the NCU No. 11 well Aurora brought online last year.

—Eric Lidji