Some revisions to Rendezvous orders

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has issued amended orders for the Rendezvous oil pool in response to a letter from operator ConocoPhillips Alaska requesting reconsideration.

Some of the requested changes appeared more significant, including:

ConocoPhillips said while it is correct that ConocoPhillips Alaska is the sole working interest owner at the Greater Moose’s Tooth unit and the Bear Tooth unit, the commission added an area outside the GMTU to the Rendezvous oil pool, and that area includes unleased acreage and acreage owned by Oil Search.

The company also asked for a correction in a finding that both gas and water contacts have been encountered within the Rendezvous oil pool. The company said only a gas-oil contact has been directly encountered. No water contact has been encountered within the oil pool.

The only proposed change rejected by the commission was a request that a requirement to begin enhanced recovery within 12 months of the order be changed to make the beginning of enhanced recovery continent on “good reservoir management practices.”

Chair Jeremy Price, writing for the commission, said that since ConocoPhillips testified injection would begin simultaneously with production and since the plan is for startup later this year, the commission saw no reason for that change, but would revise the requirement if conditions change between now and the end of the year.

The GMT and Bear Tooth units are in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. ConocoPhillips began production at GMT1, the first pad in GMTU, in October 2018. GMT1 produces from the Lookout oil pool.

Drilling has begun at the GMT2 pad, which will produce from the Rendezvous oil pool, and the company has said it expects GMT2 to be in production by the end of the year.

- KRISTEN NELSON