Anadarko, operator at the Moquawkie prospect, said the Lone Creek No. 1 exploration well flowed 10.6 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from 53 feet of perforations at approximately 2,400 feet and characterized it as “one of the best shallow gas tests in the vicinity for a reservoir of this age and type.”

The company said several other possible gas zones, approximately 180 feet, were also encountered during drilling, but have not yet been tested.

Exploration alliance

Anadarko and ARCO Alaska formed a strategic alliance in 1996 to explore the upper Cook Inlet. The well was drilled on a prospect identified by a joint Anadarko-ARCO Alaska exploration team and each company holds a 50 percent working interest in the discovery. They jointly hold leases on approximately 56,000 acres in the Moquawkie area and 178,000 acres in the Cook Inlet area.

Anadarko said the partners are preparing plans to develop the discovery. The well is located within five miles of a 16-inch natural gas pipeline. Development may include additional drilling and installation of facilities necessary to produce this and subsequent wells.

The well is on Tyonek surface land and Cook Inlet Region Inc. subsurface.

Anadarko also active on North Slope

Anadarko is also a 22 percent partner in the ARCO Alaska-operated North Slope Alpine field. In August, Anadarko signed an exclusive exploration agreement with the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. covering 3.3 million acres of ASRC land and land choices primarily in the foothills of the Brooks Range. Anadarko spokeswoman Kate Perez told PNA Oct. 19 that Anadarko will be reprocessing old seismic over the area and was not planning to acquire any proprietary seismic in the area this winter.