Conoco drilling at CD5, Kuparuk DS 2S

ConocoPhillips said Aug. 20 that development drilling has begun at its CD5 drill site on the North Slope and provided a photo of the CD5 drill site, which is the first oil development within the boundaries of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (see photo above).

The Aug. 20 news release adds more detail to the company’s second-quarter results release and analysts’ call on July 30 (see story in Aug. 9 issue), when the company reported that the first wells were spud at CD5 and another new drill site, Kuparuk River unit drill site 2S, in the second quarter, with production startup expected at both projects in the fourth quarter.

“We’re drilling our first wells at CD5, a significant milestone for the project,” Joe Marushack, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska, said in the Aug. 20 release. “CD5 has been 10 years in the making and is an important development for our company and for Alaska. In addition to bringing on new North Slope oil production, the infrastructure we installed for CD5 will help enable future development of the NPR-A.”

ConocoPhillips said the road, gravel pad, four bridges and pipelines at CD5 are all complete, with the total project investment pegged at more than $1 billion. The company said it created more than 700 direct jobs and hundreds more support jobs during construction.

Expected peak gross production at CD5 is 16,000 barrels of oil per day from 15 wells.

The company said new development it is currently advancing on the North Slope - CD5, Kuparuk Drill Site 2S, viscous oil development 1H NEWS and the Greater Mooses Tooth 1 NPR-A development - total some $3 billion gross.

Doyon 19 has been drilling at CD5 and Doyon 141 at Kuparuk River DS 2S, with a service well permitted at DS 2S in early May and development wells permitted at CD5 in April and June.

- KRISTEN NELSON