ConocoPhillips Alaska's Fiord West Kuparuk satellite development produced its first oil on May 18 from its CD2-310 well. The company said on May 20 "the well's flowrate is being progressively increased and is currently producing close to 10,000 barrels of oil per day, exceeding expectations."
The status of the CD2-310 well, which was initially designed to be the satellite's first development well, was changed by CPAI to a horizontal injector well in April.
The well was drilled by Doyon Rig 26. The largest mobile land rig in North America, it drilled CD2-310 to a total measured depth of 35,526 feet, making it the longest North American land based well.
"Decades in the making," planning for the Alpine satellite development started in 1998. CD2-310 "will be pre-produced for 5-6 months prior to being converted to permanent injection service," CPAI said May 19.
The company said data from the well will aid in optimizing the design of the next well, as reported in the most recent issue of Petroleum News, which was released online May 18.
In a May 18 status update of an April 11 annual update to federal and state officials on the 24th Colville River unit plan of development (Alpine is in the unit), CPAI said given the "significant challenges seen" in the CD2-310 well, the company's "drilling plans for 2022 had been updated to include a drilling break" for Doyon 26 this summer in order to "improve ERD drilling operations."
"Extended reach technology has been a game changer for ConocoPhillips," said Vincent Lelarge, vice president, Alaska Asset Development. "It's how we are able to responsibility develop fields like Fiord West Kuparuk with minimal footprint on the tundra and the surrounding environment."
Lelarge said CPAI has worked collaboratively on the Doyon 26 rig since 2011 when use of an extended reach drilling rig was being evaluated. From front-end engineering and design studies to ConocoPhillips Canada colleagues collaborating with Doyon Drilling during construction, the rig arrived on the North Slope of Alaska in 2020.
Doyon 26 is a technologically advanced rig, capable of drilling in excess of 40,000 feet, which substantially extends the reach from a single pad. That means the rig will be able to develop 154 square miles of reservoir from a 14-acre drilling pad versus 55 square miles using today's conventional rigs.
- KAY CASHMAN
See story in May 29 issue of Petroleum News, available online May 26 at www.PetroleumNews.com.
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