Exxon looks for gravel at Point Thomson

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land and Water, has posted a courtesy notice for a geotechnical permit for ExxonMobil Development Co.

The company has requested a five-year permit for geotechnical investigations at the Point Thomson unit to identify gravel resources to support the Point Thomson gas expansion project.

The company said in its application that work is initially scheduled for the winter of 2015-16, but may be conducted in subsequent winters as needed.

The company said a new gravel source will be required for expansion of the initial production system infrastructure and facilities at Point Thomson to produce natural gas and increase condensate production. The IPS is scheduled to go into production in January, producing condensate for sale and reinjecting natural gas into the reservoir.

ExxonMobil said the purpose of the geotechnical investigation is to gather sufficient geotechnical data - including a survey of the subsurface to identify ice lenses - to local a gravel mine capable of producing gravel of acceptable quality in the vicinity of planned construction of pads and roads.

The site investigation will include geotechnical drilling, ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic imaging and electromagnetic resistivity imagine, with geotechnical borings at as many as 40 locations. The borings will be from 20 to 75 feet deep and drilled with an 8-inch diameter stem auger.

The other surveys will be conducted over an area of up to 100 acres. Four survey areas are proposed.

The borings will be done with a small geotechnical drilling rig and tooling enclosed in a lighted and heated drill enclosure which will be towed to each boring location by a Rolligon, ExxonMobil said.

Equipment will be mobilized from Deadhorse to Point Thomson using the main supply ice road, or may be transported using tundra travel if the Point Thomson project main supply ice road is not yet open.

- Petroleum News