Phillips Alaska Inc. and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. announced July 25 the discovery of and test production from a satellite oil field near the newly developed Alpine oil field.
The Nanuq accumulation is estimated to contain more than 40 million barrels of gross recoverable reserves.
The companies said that the Nanuq accumulation was discovered in April 2000 with the 2 Nanuq exploration well, which encountered 50 feet of vertical oil-bearing sandstone in a Cretaceous-age reservoir and nine feet in the Kuparuk reservoir. A combined zone production test recorded a production rate of 1,750 barrels per day of 40 degree API gravity oil and 1.2 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
A delineation well was drilled from the Alpine CD1 drill site during the 2001 winter drilling season. The Nanuq CD1-229 well encountered 19 feet of vertical oil-bearing sand in the Cretaceous-age Nanuq reservoir. The initial production test from the Nanuq interval recorded a production rate of 460 barrels per day of 41-degree API gravity oil and 6.5 million standard cubic feet of gas per day from a horizontal completion.
The Nanuq CD1-229 well was placed on long-term test production through the Alpine facilities during the 2000-2001 winter season. Production has since been suspended. Plans for further delineation and development of the Nanuq field are under evaluation.
The Nanuq accumulation is the second satellite field to be discovered near Alpine. The previously announced Fiord satellite accumulation is estimated to contain more than 50 million barrels of gross recoverable reserves.
Phillips is operator of and holds a 78 percent interest in the Alpine field and its satellites, while Anadarko holds a 22 percent interest.
