Hilcorp subsidiary to purchase LNG plant

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. has made some recent changes in its North Slope management. Tim Holt, formerly business unit leader for the central North Slope, has left BP Exploration (Alaska) to head BP Amoco's Canada operations. Neil McCleary who was the field manager at Prudhoe Bay has been promoted to Prudhoe Bay business unit leader and Mark Bly who was interim business unit leader for the western North Slope has now been named business unit leader for western North Slope on a permanent basis. Greg Mattson, who had been interim business unit leader for new developments, has been named the permanent business unit leader for new developments.

ARCO Alaska Inc. received a drilling permit for a sidetrack to its National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Spark well on April 14. The original well, the 1 Spark, was a vertical hole permitted March 17 some 12 miles west of Nuiqsut. The 1A Spark is a directional hole permitted to a bottom hole southeast of the original well. ARCO's NPR-A Clover location received a drilling permit Feb. 10 and ARCO permitted a well at a third NPR-A location, Rendezvous, on April 5. ARCO Alaska spokeswoman Dawn Patience said April 17 that they are trying to get all three locations drilled this season. All other information about the company's exploration drilling activities are confidential, Patience said.