Prudhoe drilling down, workovers up

It’s looking like 2008 will be a year of enhancement, not enlargement, at Prudhoe Bay.

In the current year, the working interest owners expect to do less drilling, but more rig workover activity than last year, according to the 2008 plan for developing the initial participating areas of the Prudhoe Bay Unit.

“With slightly lower drilling activity, and higher workover activity, overall rig activity in 2008 will be similar to 2007,” the companies said in the plan, submitted to the state on March 31.

Drilling activities this year are expected to include “approximately 0.7 and 1.5 rotary years and 10 to 20 penetrations, and 0.7 to 1.4 coil years yielding 15 to 27 coil penetrations,” for about 16 total rig and coil tubing sidetrack wells, according to the plan of development. The companies also have one candidate for a new well this year, which would be located just east of B Pad.

In 2007, the companies drilled 46 wells, including four new wells.

The increased rig workover activity for 2008 “will be focused on returning to service injectors and producers that are shut-in because of wellbore integrity issues.”

—Eric Lidji