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AEX proposes to begin permitting process for one-pad Placer field, connect to Pikka or Mustang
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
On June 3, the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas released an application from ASRC Exploration to amend the North Slope Placer unit’s plan of development in order to start the permitting process that will bring the Placer oil field into production in 2022.
This second amendment to the amended third plan of development for the unit runs one year, starting Sept. 9.
The activities proposed in the application, once approved by the division, “will be conducted under the existing Placer #3 well plan of operations,” the company said, which includes flow testing the Placer No. 3 well.
Connect to Pikka or Mustang AEX, which recently placed Placer on the market (see June 2 issue of Petroleum News), said it had identified a single pad for development and two transportation options.
The first option was a road and pipeline to Nanushuk (Pikka unit) drillsite 1 with a tie-in to the Nanushuk central processing facilities. That development is scheduled to come online at the end of 2023 under the operatorship of Oil Search.
The second option proposed by AEX was a road and pipeline to the soon-to-be in production Mustang central processing facilities for the Miluveach oil field, operated by Brooks Range Petroleum.
AEX said it was planning to conduct fieldwork on pads, routes and other required studies in August as part of the development project and permitting process. The company planned to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer to “identify and assure that all required data is gathered during the 2019 summer field season.”
AEX said, depending on the weather, it would conduct and accomplish the following during the summer:
* Wetlands verification and delineation at drillsite and along route options extending to 500 feet on either side of each route.
* Cultural resources field survey at drillsite and along route options extending to 500 feet on either side of each route.
* Fish surveys for Miluveach River and small stream crossings.
* Nesting surveys for waterfowl within the area.
* Hydrologic studies for Miluveach River to identify appropriate location for bridge crossing.
* Identify lakes within project option area that may require lake surveys.
* Analysis of 100- and 500-year flood events relative to drillsite and pipeline locations.
* Evaluate project footprint and a 1-mile Miluveach River buffer.
The application was signed by AEX President Teresa Imm.
Kuparuk C, Nanushuk and Alpine According to the firm conducting the sale of Placer, the 8,768-acre unit’s stacked plays include the Kuparuk C reservoir and the potential for additional stacked pays in the Nanushuk and Alpine intervals.
Placer, the sales advertisements said, could have 110 million barrels of original oil in place, with between 35 million and 45 million barrels of oil recoverable across all horizons. They said Placer was in a good neighborhood with the ConocoPhillips’ Kuparuk River oil field on the east and bordering the Oil Search Pikka unit on the west.
- KAY CASHMAN
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