Hilcorp has spud Whiskey Gulch No. 1 well

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Hilcorp Alaska told the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Aug. 16 that it has spud the Whiskey Gulch No. 1 well in the Whiskey Gulch undefined gas pool and the Whiskey Gulch undefined oil pool.

Whiskey Gulch is on the southern Kenai Peninsula, north of Hilcorp’s Seaview gas field.

In June AOGCC issued Conservation Order 790, granting Hilcorp a spacing exception to drill, complete, test and produce the well. A spacing exception was required because the well is in an undefined oil pool within 500 feet of a property line and in an undefined gas pool within 1,500 feet of a property line, in both cases, a location where the owner and landowner are not the same on both sides of the line.

Hilcorp said that approval was granted on the basis that notice was sent to the proper parties based on the top of the productive horizon shown on a map the company submitted.

Hilcorp said it spud the well in August and is drilling based on an anticipated total depth of 10,271 feet measured depth.

The map submitted for the spacing order, and the basis on which the order was issued, showed the top of the productive horizon for gas at a depth of 6,089 feet, and Hilcorp said it sent notice to all landowners within 3,000 feet of the affected area of the wellbore, based on that TPH.

Hilcorp said it now believes that the TPH will be encountered at a shallower depth, estimated at 237 feet MD, the top of the Lower Sterling formation.

“Hilcorp is now requesting a revision to CO 790 to allow for completion, testing, and production of the Whiskey Gulch No. 1 Well in the shallower formations, within the Whiskey Gulch Undefined Gas Pool,” the company said, requiring notice to be sent to additional owners and landowners.

In a public notice issued Aug. 18, AOGCC said it has tentatively scheduled a public hearing on the application for Sept. 22 at 10 a.m., but also said if it does not receive a request for the hearing by Sept. 15, it may consider issuing an order without a hearing.

- KRISTEN NELSON