Chevron plugs foothills exploration wells

Chevron has plugged and abandoned all three wells from the first year of exploration at its White Hills prospect in northern Alaska, according to recent well data from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

The company completed the Smilodon 9-4-9 exploration well on March 22 and the Panthera 28-6-9 exploration well on April 11. Chevron completed the Mastodon 6-3-9 exploration well on March 27, as reported in the May 25 issue of Petroleum News.

As of May 21, the AOGCC had not listed information about Smilodon or Panthera.

The White Hills prospect is in the foothills of the Brooks Range just west of the Dalton Highway. The company hopes to drill eight wells over a two-year program at White Hills, its first project in northern Alaska since the early 1990s.

Chevron drilled all three wells using Nabors rig 106.

Chevron has not released any results from the three exploration wells, or the targets of the exploration program, calling it a “tight” venture.

—Eric Lidji