BP plans to continue Badami production through part of winter

Kristen Nelson

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. originally planned to put the Badami field on the North Slope into warm shutdown in mid-December, but that has been delayed due to higher than anticipated production, company spokesman Ronnie Chappell said in mid-December.

The company plans to continue operations until late January, maybe longer. “We are closely monitoring production and cold temperatures and will make a decision about how to proceed based on those factors,” he said.

Current production is 3,000-3,500 barrels per day, Chappell said.

A crack was found in a weld and a gas leak in the line that delivers natural gas from Endicott to Badami, Chappell said. The company thinks that the crack in the weld is the result of wind-induced vibration. The line has been repaired, but the company has decided to delay putting the line back into service pending further investigation of the break and additional evaluation of the line.