Doyon could seek industry partner for Yukon Flats exploration

Kristen Nelson

The agreement in principle for a land trade in Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge between Doyon Ltd. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced Oct. 20, would give each something they want, says Jim Mery, senior vice president of lands for the Interior Alaska Native regional corporation.

Mery told Petroleum News Oct. 25 that the agreement in principle, which is still subject to more review at the Department of the Interior and final approval, would give Doyon federal lands adjacent to acreage it already holds and believes is prospective and give the Fish and Wildlife Service habit it wants on Doyon lands.

Fish and Wildlife is putting together a public participation plan, including a series of open houses to discuss what the land trade might look like, and there will be a public comment period before the agreement is finalized.

Mery said Exxon and Amoco explored in the Yukon Flats area in the 1980s, “and that’s the basis of our information, and why we think the areas is so promising.” The companies did surface studies and about 240 miles of seismic were gathered, both on public and on Doyon lands. Doyon subsequently licensed information from industry.

Doyon’s goal is to consolidate prospective areas of Doyon and federal land and gain economic opportunity, Mery said.

Once the agreement is final, “we would then go out and we would seek an industry partner or partners to help conduct the next round of exploration which would likely be a more focused round of seismic followed by drilling,” Mery said.

“We’ve already had a few inquiries from industry in the last week or so.”

In addition to work done in the 1980s, the U.S. Geological Survey is just finishing up a large petroleum assessment. Their conclusions aren’t public yet, Mery said, “but we have every reason to think they will be positive.”